The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN), to bolster data protection initiatives among the 40 million SMEs in the country.
The MoU establishes a framework for collaboration, including the formation of a working group to focus on capacity building in data protection.
This initiative aims to educate SMEs on adopting appropriate technical and organizational measures towards safeguarding data privacy.
In addition to that, NDPC in a statement released on Monday said it also signed a similar MoU with the National Lottery Regulatory Commission (NLRC).
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Driving growth
Speaking on the MoU with the two organizations, the National Commissioner/CEO of NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, expressed optimism about the implementation of the memoranda with the two strategic agencies and assured stakeholders that the trusted use of data will guarantee short, medium, and long-term growth.
“You have almost 40 million players within this sector alone, imagine the exponential growth we can bring in if people can carry out transactions on the basis of trust and confidence.
“It is good that we are here today, to put pen into paper, we have to work together to ensure that there is privacy in what you are doing in the sector,” he said while addressing the DG, of SMEDAN, Mr Charles Odii.
Dr Olatunji reiterated the significance of this partnership, emphasising the need to protect the personal data of approximately 60 million data subjects within the gaming sector. He stressed the importance of training NLRC staff and stakeholders on data protection principles to foster a culture of compliance.
“We are looking at an ecosystem with about 60 million people who regularly exchange and process data, this is one sector that cannot be overlooked. SMEDAN has 40 million Nigerians monitored under them, we have almost half of the population,” he added.
MoU with NLRC
The NDPC said the MoU it signed with the NLRC bolsters the collaboration between the two Commissions. The MoU formalizes the commitment to uphold data protection laws and implement best practices in data storage and processing.
“When we talk about the interests and freedom of all Nigerians, we have to ensure that the personal data of over 220 million people are adequately protected and processed in line with the extant regulatory framework,” Olatunji said.
The Director General, NLRC, Mr Lanre Gbajabiamila expressed appreciation to the NDPC for their ongoing work.
“The change that the establishment of NDPC has brought to the gaming value chain is commendable, we are not taking this MoU for granted.
“International partners come here to see what we do and make comments that are welcoming to show that we are on the right part which is acceptable to the industry for operations to come in.
“We would also like to collaborate with you in conducting joint awareness campaigns and capacity building on data governance,” Gbajabiamila said.
The collaborations mark significant milestones in NDPC’s mission to promote data protection and privacy across diverse sectors in Nigeria.
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