The Nigerian Government through the Data Protection Commission, NDPC, has warned that it is embarking on a significant enforcement and imposition of substantial fines on data controllers and processors that violate the Nigeria Data Protection Act, NDPA, of 2023.
This was disclosed by the National Commissioner/CEO of the Commission, Dr Vincent Olatunji, in a video outlining the Commission’s 2025 agenda, shared on its social media platforms.
Dr Olatunji stated, “For data controllers and processors, there is going to be massive enforcement. We have never really issued any fine, but going forward, you’ll hear us giving heavy penalties.”
He assured Nigerians that their data rights, as guaranteed by the NDPA, will be fully protected, and defaulting data controllers and processors will face strict consequences.
The Commissioner highlighted the NDPC’s extensive engagements with stakeholders across public and private sectors to promote awareness and compliance with the Commission’s mandate.
“There are a lot of data controllers and processors that are looking for people to work with them. Now those that we have trained in 2024, those we have certified, we are going to do more this year to actually launch them to the job market where they can really work with data controllers and processors,” he said.
Additionally, he said the NDPC will continue nationwide efforts to promote data protection awareness.