• Commends National Data Ombudsman

By Kingsley I. Ilechukwu, Bureau Chief, South West

Pursuant to the realization of the Renewed Hope Agenda of the current administration, Minister of Communication, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani has said the security and protection of data of citizens is being strengthened even as he handed commendation to the National Commissioner of the National Data Protection Commission(NDPC) Dr. Vincent Olatunji for his pioneering work.

Dr. Tijani made the remarks at a recent two-day sensitization workshop at the instance of the NDPC, held in Abuja, north central, Nigeria.

Tijani’s remarks read in part: “I commend the work of Dr. Olatunji.  The role of ensuring that we have a structure around the regulation of data Protection is extremely important in our journey as a nation. Data privacy is not just a matter of convenience, it is a fundamental human right and we should care about the data we generate and what it is being used for.

“As we embrace the digital age, it is crucial that personal and sensitive information of our citizens is maintained under the eyes of confidentiality. We are committed as a government to ensuring that every Nigerian can trust the digital platforms that they use, knowing that their personal data will not be misused. 

“To achieve this, we are taking proactive steps to strengthen our data Protection framework as evidenced in setting up of NDPC.   We are working with stakeholders including National Assembly to enact robust data Protection laws that are aligned with international standards.  This involves holding organisations accountable on how they collect and process data.  We will also normalise the culture of transparency among our citizens so that everyone is fully aware of how their data is used.

“We will collaborate with all stakeholders to ensure everyone is being aware  of their rights and how they can protect their digital identity. This is not the responsibility of government alone, each one of us should ensure that everyone around us understands the value of their data and how they can protect themselves. As data Protection officers and MDAs, we must be responsible for this as you are the faces citizens interact with. It is important that we model what we want to see in the society.

“ The digital economy is an era of growth and innovation that requires we nurture it. The President is interested in the power of digital economy. As we encourage the development of innovative technology, we should also prioritize the implementation of stronger data security and protection as well. Finally, I want to emphasize that data privacy and protection conversation should go beyond technicalities;  they should become values that we all hold  and uphold strongly.

“As we build an inclusive and prosperous digital future by fostering a collective culture of responsible data handling, we can ensure our citizens’ personal information is managed responsibly and also secured. As a minister, am personally committed to this and I ask that you all join us to work towards the Nigeria where everyone’s data is protected and secured. As we mainstream the use of technology, not everyone in our society knows how to manage their data, people are coming on more on social media, and sharing of indiscriminate message on social media shouldn’t be. We continue to push and enlighten our citizens to protect their data as we also ask that you join us on this journey to protect the data of our citizens.”