Abuja: Nigerian Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (NIEEE) have sought partnership with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), on data protection compliance, capacity building, and professional training. The President and Chairman-in-Council of NIEEE, Felix Adegboye, made this known when he led a delegation of the Institute on a courtesy visit to the National Commissioner/CEO of NDPC, Dr. Vincent Olatunji in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Adegboye stated that NIEEE, as a professional body representing over 10,000 registered Electrical and Electronic Engineers, is the custodian of standards, ethics, and technical excellence that fuels Nigeria’s economy. The courtesy visit underscored the value NIEEE placed on the commission’s activities. “We recognise that data protection goes beyond just a legal requirement; it is a technical imperative. We need secured engineering for privacy of data,” he said.
Adegboye elaborated that the visit was based on three key pillars: collaboration and standards; capacity building based on the NDPA Act 2023; and joint policy advocacy on emerging technologies. He also requested the establishment of an NIEEE Desk within the NDPC, sought the National Commissioner’s support, and invited him to his Investiture as the 22nd President of the institute scheduled for February 21, 2026. Adegboye congratulated the NDPC leadership, highlighting its role as a beacon of trust in Nigeria’s digital landscape.
Responding, Olatunji expressed appreciation for the visit and noted that the commission’s Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan aligned with NIEEE’s request. He detailed that the roadmap was structured around five pillars: governance; ecosystem and technology; capacity development; cooperation and collaboration; and sustainability. With a staff of no more than 110 officers, the commission relies heavily on strategic partnerships, especially given Nigeria’s extensive data ecosystem across its 774 local government areas.
The national commissioner highlighted NDPC’s achievements, including training over 38,000 personnel in data protection, creating approximately 23,000 direct and indirect jobs, and positioning Nigeria as a reference point for data protection practice across Africa. He emphasized that effective data protection depended on strong legal implementation, robust public-private partnerships, and continuous innovation.
Olatunji affirmed the commission’s readiness to collaborate with NIEEE through a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), including integrating an NIEEE Desk within the Commission and other mutually beneficial initiatives. He recommended nominating technical focal persons to draft the MoU, coordinate investiture engagement, and support the implementation of the strategic roadmap. He also indicated NDPC’s willingness to allocate training slots to NIEEE members in forthcoming capacity-building programmes and expressed his intention to attend and support the NIEEE Presidential Investiture.
Olatunji invited the NIEEE delegation to participate and speak at the opening ceremony of the Data Privacy Summit 2026, themed ‘Privacy in the Era of Emerging Technologies: Trust, Ethics, and Innovation’. Vice President (ICT) of NIEEE, Atinuke Owolabi, encouraged strong NIEEE-NDPC participation in the National Technical Discourse on Data Protection.
Other members of the NIEEE delegation included Vice President (ICT) Atinuke Owolabi, Executive Secretary Mr. Kazeem Lawal, Abuja Chapter Chairman Maiyaki Ohida, his Deputy Lydia Oluwaniran, and chapter Treasurer Favour Ejim.