By Abiodun Folarin
WorldStage– The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has generated more than N12 billion in revenue and facilitated the creation of over 27,000 jobs within three years, according to the Commission’s National Commissioner, Dr. Vincent Olatunji.
Olatunji disclosed this on Monday during the commissioning of the Commission’s new headquarters in Abuja, where he also revealed that Nigeria’s data protection ecosystem is now valued at more than N18 billion.
The National Commissioner described the figures as evidence of the rapid transformation of an institution that began operations in 2022 with just 12 staff members, limited resources and no dedicated funding.
He said the Commission evolved from a small data protection unit under the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) into a full-fledged regulatory authority following the enactment of the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023.
“When we started this commission, we had a seed in our hands, which we planted, watered and nurtured. It has grown to what we are witnessing today,” Olatunji said.
According to him, the Commission commenced operations in February 2022 with personnel seconded from NITDA and struggled through its early months without adequate funding.
He noted that subsequent support from development partners and government institutions, coupled with the passage of the Data Protection Act, provided the legal authority and international recognition required for the agency to operate effectively as Nigeria’s national data protection regulator.
Providing an overview of the Commission’s achievements, Olatunji disclosed that the NDPC has licensed 356 Data Protection Compliance Organisations (DPCOs) across the country.
He said the activities of the licensed organisations, together with the Commission’s regulatory and capacity-building programmes, had contributed significantly to job creation.
“Through the activities of these DPCOs and our work, we were able to create more than 27,000 jobs within three years,” he said.
The Commissioner further revealed that over 66,000 Nigerians had been onboarded through the NDPC Virtual Privacy Academy, while 220 training programmes had impacted 99,370 participants drawn from both the public and private sectors.
He added that the Commission had established 17 Data Privacy Clubs in universities and trained 6,176 student data privacy ambassadors across tertiary institutions nationwide.
According to him, the agency’s awareness and stakeholder engagement initiatives have reached more than 250,000 Nigerians.
On international cooperation, Olatunji said the Commission had signed 28 Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with regulators and development partners within and outside Nigeria, including institutions in Canada, Morocco, Liberia, Kenya and Ghana, while maintaining close collaboration with the United Kingdom’s Information Commissioner’s Office.
He also disclosed that 17 countries had visited Nigeria over the last two years to understudy the country’s approach to data protection and privacy governance.
Olatunji said the NDPC had emerged as one of Africa’s leading data protection regulators, citing its receipt of the Picasso Award for excellence on the continent and its nomination as a finalist in three categories of the Global Privacy Assembly Awards, scheduled to hold in Brussels in November.
Recovered Asset Converted to NDPC Headquarters
Speaking at the event, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, disclosed that the Commission’s new headquarters was a property recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
He said converting the asset into the headquarters of Nigeria’s data protection regulator symbolised the productive repurposing of public assets recovered from corrupt practices.
“There is something particularly powerful about the fact that we’re here today. An asset recovered on behalf of the Nigerian people has been returned to productive use for the protection of Nigerian people,” Tijani said.
According to the Minister, a property once associated with proceeds of corruption now serves as the headquarters of an institution dedicated to protecting citizens’ personal data and strengthening trust in Nigeria’s digital economy.
Tijani also revealed that the Federal Government intervened to address the funding challenges faced by the Commission during its early years.
He noted that the NDPC initially relied on support from other government agencies, an arrangement he described as unsustainable for an organisation responsible for safeguarding the data of over 200 million Nigerians.
The Minister said President Bola Tinubu approved direct funding to enable the Commission stabilise its operations while building the capacity to generate revenue independently.
ICT Sector’s GDP Contribution Rises to 21%
Tijani said the growth recorded by the NDPC mirrored broader expansion across Nigeria’s digital economy.
According to him, the contribution of the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) has increased from about 16 per cent when the current administration assumed office to approximately 21 per cent.
He disclosed that the government is investing in 90,000 kilometres of fibre-optic infrastructure to deepen broadband penetration nationwide.
The Minister added that another connectivity initiative would deploy 3,700 telecommunications sites to underserved communities, potentially connecting more than 20 million Nigerians.
He also said plans were underway to upgrade Nigeria’s communications satellite in order to extend digital connectivity to locations beyond the reach of fibre and conventional telecommunications infrastructure.
Tijani stressed that expanding the digital economy must go beyond internet access.
“Digital economy simply isn’t about bringing people online. It must also be about ensuring that people have the skill set to participate and that we can protect our people online,” he said.
NITDA Highlights Data Protection, Human Rights
The Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, represented by the agency’s Director of Stakeholder Management and Partnerships, Dr Aristotle Onumo, described data protection as a critical pillar of Nigeria’s digital transformation agenda.
Onumo said the growing prominence of artificial intelligence had further underscored the strategic importance of data and the need for robust privacy safeguards.
He noted that data protection extends beyond information security, serving as a mechanism for preserving human dignity, protecting fundamental rights and strengthening institutional accountability.
According to him, the NDPC’s evolution from a small regulatory unit into a national institution demonstrates the value of inter-agency collaboration and strategic partnerships in developing Nigeria’s digital economy.
He commended the leadership of the NDPC and the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy for the progress recorded, describing the new headquarters as a symbol of Nigeria’s commitment to building a secure, trusted and inclusive digital ecosystem.
L-R: Commissioner, Nigeria Data Protection Commissioner, Dr. Vincent Olatunji and the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani at the commissioning of the commission’s headquarters on Monday, in Abuja.
