Abuja: The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has announced the development of sector-specific data protection and privacy regulatory frameworks for the financial, telecommunications, and hospitality sectors to guide data collection, sharing, and storage processes. The National Commissioner of NDPC, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, highlighted these efforts during a stakeholders engagement meeting held on Thursday in Abuja, emphasizing the unique data collection challenges faced by different sectors.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the meeting gathered key stakeholders to exchange insights, foster dialogue, and collaboratively shape robust frameworks aligned with global data protection and privacy best practices. Dr. Olatunji stressed the importance of strengthening compliance measures among institutions involved in data collection and processing, noting the need to address sector-specific issues such as data privacy policies, data protection impact assessments, and records of processing activities.
Dr. Olatunji called on stakeholders from various sectors to share the types of data they collect and their expectations from the NDPC in terms of frameworks that ensure trust in data processing activities and guide compliance. Highlighting the strategic role of the financial sector, he noted that traditional banks serve over 60 million Nigerians, while digital banks manage data for more than 40 million individuals. He also pointed out that the hospitality and telecommunications sectors generate vast amounts of data, necessitating the development of tailored frameworks.
Mr. Babatunde Bamigboye, Head of Legal and Regulatory Enforcement at NDPC, stated that the initiative aims to safeguard privacy rights and other fundamental freedoms. He revealed that the commission had conducted over 15 desk reviews and focus group discussions and evaluated more than 40,000 major data controllers and processors through compliance audit returns and registration records.
Mr. Abdul-Hakeem Ajijola, Chairman of Consultancy Support Services, discussed the Hospitality Data Protection Framework, noting that the hospitality industry has become one of Nigeria’s largest personal data ecosystems. He explained that personal data collection in this sector spans online reservations, ride bookings, digital payments, and customer reviews, processing between 150 million and 300 million interaction-level records annually.
Mr. Rex Abitogun, CEO of Management Edge Ltd., emphasized the need for a dedicated framework for the telecommunications sector due to the unique nature of data generated within the industry. Similarly, Prof. Rufus Ayodeji of BytePlus Consulting highlighted the financial sector’s handling of sensitive information, including National Identity Numbers (NIN), Bank Verification Numbers (BVN), salary details, and account information. He asserted that the framework would establish a trusted, secure, transparent, and accountable privacy governance structure, protecting personal data while supporting innovation, financial inclusion, and digital transformation in Nigeria’s financial system.