National Commissioner of the NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, says government institutions handle large volumes of personal data, requiring Data Protection Officers to have the skills to prevent, detect and respond to breaches.ย Photo: NDPC
Theย Nigeria Data Protection Commission, NDPC,ย has commenced a capacity-building programme for Data Protection Officers across Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, to strengthen compliance with the countryโs data protection laws and help prevent breaches.
Declaring the programme open in Abuja, theย National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji,ย said effective data protection must begin with strong systems and processes within organisations.
He said government institutions handle large volumes of personal information, making it necessary for Data Protection Officers to have the knowledge and professional skills to identify, prevent and respond to breaches.
โCompliance cannot be achieved by the regulator alone. Organisations must build the systems, processes and human capacity required to protect the personal data entrusted to them.โ
Dr Olatunji also reminded the officers that failure to comply with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 carries consequences, urging them to understand and properly discharge their statutory responsibilities.
He called on the participants to embed data protection principles across their institutions and continuously improve their professional knowledge.
The NDPC chief executive further urged the officers to share their knowledge with colleagues and promote a culture of responsible data handling within government institutions.
โYou are not just compliance officers; you are also ambassadors of data protection within your respective institutions.โ
The programme is designed to strengthen the capacity of DPOs to support compliance with Nigeriaโs data protection framework and improve the responsible handling of personal information across government.
