NITDA To Develop Multi-Billion Naira Data Privacy Sector In 2021

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) says the agency is set to develop a multi-billion naira data privacy sector for job creation in 2021.
The NITDA’s Director-General, Mr Kashifu Inuwa, made this known on Monday in Abuja at the virtual news conference to open the 2021 National Data Privacy Week.
Data Privacy Week is a global event held every last week in January, while this year’s celebration falls between Jan. 25 and Jan. 28.
Inuwa said that boosting the data privacy sector would be through consolidated implementation of the Nigerian Data Protection Regulation (NDPR).
According to him, the NDPR established in Jan. 25, 2019 by Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami is designed to guide the use of data in public places.
“It will also meet the global principles on data protection, especially the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR),’’ the director-general said.
He said that the NDPR recorded huge success between 2019 and 2020, through sustained public awareness, training, workshops for Data Protection Compliance Organisations (DPCOs) and Data Breach Investigation Team (DBIT).
He further said that data privacy was challenged due to the COVID-19 pandemic, economic crisis which led to mental health crisis, thereby impeding compliance and enforcement of the regulation.
“We are going to redouble our efforts in the direction of enforcement and compliance as data protection has become a pivot for the continued growth of the digital economy,’’ Inuwa said.

Inuwa, however, said that the agency was going to create more awareness on the regulation, further work with the media to upscale its publicity and build capacity of officers on data protection management in collaboration with stakeholders.
“Our current effort at enforcement is salutary but not nearly enough, we are considering all options to ensure we do not kill businesses while also ensuring businesses do not kill Nigerians through wanton abuse of their data,’’ he said.