Oghenebwede Oloworiore of Abuja
Vice President Kassim Shettima said African economies would thrive if the continent could legally share secure data.
He said this on Tuesday in Abuja at the opening ceremony of the Network of African Data Protection Authorities (NADPA) themed “Balancing Innovation in Africa: Data Protection and Privacy in Emerging Technologies” and the official launch of the Nigeria Virtual Privacy Academy (NVPA).
Senator Ibrahim Hadezia, acting chief of staff to the president, said African economies would thrive if Africa could legally share secure data.
“We recognize that data is more than just a digital resource. Data is a human story told in numbers. Data is the fabric of trust in our economy and the currency of credibility in our institutions.”
And as the African Future Agreement increases the scale of African exchanges, our ability to share data securely and legally will determine our ability to grow.”
Commenting on the importance of the conference, he said such forums are not only welcome but essential, adding that they provide an opportunity to exchange ideas, develop human capital and strengthen mutual legal assistance mechanisms.
He also referred to the NDPC’s legal framework, saying, “Nigeria’s data protection legal framework is globally recognized as one of the most progressive.
“Through this, we reallocated our alignment to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. More importantly, our data protection ecosystem is now directly tied to the remnants of this administration’s eight presidential priorities.”
In his address, Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, said: “Nigeria is committed to a future where technological progress is inclusive and in perspective.”
“As we digitize government services, develop digital trade routes, and increase the need for digital identity on our platforms, we must ensure that our value chains are safe, fair, and transparent.
“This is not just a platform issue, it’s a trust issue. And without trust, the digital economy cannot scale,” he said.
Speaking at the launch of the NVPA, the Minister said: “This objective allows us to refocus on another of our strategic advances: the Data Protection Virtual Academy.
“This is a world-first initiative aimed at providing virtual training on data protection and privacy to both the public and private sectors.”
NADPA President Iro Adamu, who was represented by First Vice President Immaculate Kassite from Kenya, said Africa is fully committed to a trustworthy digital environment.
“Our presence in Abuja serves as a testament to Africa’s unity and common aspirations. Together, we are committed to moving towards a trusted digital environment that protects individual privacy.”
“Regardless of gender, humans have common characteristics that require us to protect and uphold the rights to personal data in this evolving digital environment,” she added.
She said the 2026 edition will be held in Abidjan, the capital of Ivory Coast.
In his welcome address, the National Commissioner of the National Data Protection Council (NDPC), Dr. Vincent Olatunji, disclosed that Nigeria’s data protection sector had cumulatively generated over $10 million in revenue in three years, adding that the ecosystem had also created about 23,000 jobs.
“In terms of revenue to the government, in less than two years we were able to generate over $1.2 million for the government in registration fees, audit filing fees, and compliance fees on the data controller and processor side,” he said.
He called for greater cooperation among African data protection authorities for enforcement cooperation, capacity building and knowledge sharing.
“The EU is committed to working closely with Nigeria and Africa to strengthen data protection,” said Annette Gunter, the European Union’s ambassador to Nigeria, who was represented by the EU’s head of green and digital economy, Inga Stefanowcz.
