The Nigeria Data Protection Commission has called for deeper cooperation among regulators and industry leaders across the continent to strengthen data privacy and digital security.
Speaking in Lagos at the opening ceremony of the eighth Data Protection Africa Summit, the National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the commission, Dr Vincent Olatunji, urged delegates to push for joint initiatives that support better privacy safeguards. According to a report by Voice of Nigeria, Olatunji highlighted that raising public consciousness remains vital to embedding data security, a goal he said cannot be achieved without ongoing cooperation between key players.
The commission boss recommended the public-private partnership model for regulatory bodies throughout Africa, explaining that such frameworks are crucial to expanding the broader ecosystem. While sharing the agency's milestones, Olatunji revealed that Nigeria's public-private collaboration approach has produced over 27,000 jobs. He added that the initiative helped scale the number of certified Data Protection Officers from below 1,000 to over 10,000 professionals.
Despite advocating for closer ties between the public and private sectors, the NDPC head issued a clear warning to businesses handling user records. He insisted that entering strategic relationships will not prevent companies from facing disciplinary measures if they break data privacy laws. Data controllers and processors were told to build compliance directly into their operational routines rather than treating it as an afterthought.
Olatunji also acknowledged the Executive Director of the Africa Data Rights Hub, Ms Teki Akuetteh, who worked alongside the Nigerian regulator to organise the regional gathering. He challenged participants at the summit to produce practical solutions and measurable outcomes that will shape digital governance across Africa in the years ahead.
