The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has announced its collaboration with Data Protection Compliance Organizations (DPCOs) to provide training for 50,000 young Nigerians interested in pursuing careers in the data protection privacy ecosystem. The National Commissioner of the NDPC, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, revealed this during a recent zoom meeting with ICT reporters. The capacity training initiative will be conducted annually and will cover all 774 local government areas in the country.
Dr. Olatunji emphasized the importance of building the capacity of young Nigerians in the data protection privacy field. The NDPC will work with DPCOs to provide training, while a national certification body will handle the certification process. The commission aims to train 50,000 individuals per year, following a comprehensive curriculum developed in collaboration with over 160 licensed DPCOs.
Although the data protection ecosystem is still in its early stages in Nigeria, the NDPC aims to raise awareness among data controllers, processors, and consumers about their respective obligations and rights. Dr. Olatunji stressed the need for capacity building, job creation, and global competitiveness within the data protection sector.
To ensure widespread understanding of the data protection law, the NDPC plans to collaborate with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to break down the law into easily comprehensible segments, benefiting both urban and rural populations.
The licensing of DPCOs by the NDPC enables these organizations to offer services and products related to compliance with data protection laws and regulations, both domestically and internationally. The collaboration between the NDPC and DPCOs aims to foster a robust data protection framework in Nigeria.
