NDPC Strengthens Collaboration with Ministry of Education to Promote Data Protection in Nigeria

The National Commissioner and CEO of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC),  Vincent Olatunji, led a strategic working visit to the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, on February 20, with the Minister of State, Dr Suwaiba Said Ahmad, also in attendance.

During the visit, Dr Olatunji emphasized the critical importance of data protection and privacy as Nigeria advances towards a digital economy under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. He highlighted the benefits of compliance, including global recognition, while noting that adherence in the educational sector remains low.

Dr Olatunji shared several NDPC initiatives aimed at raising awareness among students and institutions, such as the Digital Privacy Awareness Campaign, Data Privacy Clubs in universities, the Secondary School Data Challenge, and the Adopt-A-School initiative, which reached around 8,000 students during National Privacy Week. He encouraged the Ministry of Education to leverage its influence to ensure sector-wide compliance.

In response, Dr Alausa acknowledged the need to prioritize data protection across all Ministries, Departments, and Agencies. He reinforced President Tinubu’s vision of producing 50 million digitally literate citizens, stressing that data protection should be a core part of this agenda. He also proposed increased awareness campaigns and assured the Commission of the education sector’s commitment to compliance.

To support implementation, the NDPC offered free induction training for Ministry staff, Virtual Privacy Academy (VPA) vouchers, and potential participation in its free certification program. A working group was established to drive the next steps in advancing data protection initiatives within the education sector.