Nigeria Deepens Ties with Microsoft in Privacy and Digital Governance Drive
Nigeria’s active participation in this forum signals its commitment to contributing to a safer, more accountable global digital ecosystem.
The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has reaffirmed the country’s growing role in global data governance through active participation at the 47th Global Privacy Assembly (GPA). The National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, represented Nigeria at the closed session of the GPA, an exclusive gathering of accredited Data Protection Authorities (DPAs) worldwide.
The session brought together regulators to deliberate on critical issues, including the accreditation of new members and observers, the announcement of the GPA Executive Committee members, and progress updates from various GPA working groups. Other agenda items featured discussions on the Global Cross-Border Privacy Rules (CBPR) and reports from the Council of Europe as well as the Consultative Committee of Convention 108+.
Panel discussions at the assembly examined pressing challenges facing the global data privacy community. Topics included capacity building for DPAs, the risks and implications of targeted marketing, strategies for conducting effective investigations, and the need to empower data subjects through stronger data portability mechanisms. These conversations underscored the GPA’s role in shaping coordinated responses to emerging privacy and data protection challenges in a rapidly digitalizing world.
On the sidelines of the Assembly, Dr Olatunji led the NDPC delegation to a strategic meeting with Microsoft. The discussions reflected on the progress achieved through existing cooperation and explored new opportunities for collaboration. The talks centered on advancing innovation, strengthening regulatory support, and reinforcing privacy safeguards across Nigeria’s digital economy. This engagement directly supports Pillar 4 of the Commission’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan, which emphasizes strategic partnerships and stakeholder engagement as a foundation for effective privacy governance.
With the increasing movement of data across borders, the GPA continues to play a central role in reinforcing international cooperation to uphold privacy rights. Nigeria’s active participation in this forum signals its commitment to contributing to a safer, more accountable global digital ecosystem.
