Abuja: The Executive Vice-Chairman (EVC) of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Aminu Maida, has urged Nigerians to know their data rights in order to avoid exploitation. Maida made the call during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the NCC and the Nigerian Data Protection Commission on Thursday in Abuja. He emphasized that data protection is key to the sovereignty of the country.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Dr. Maida highlighted the importance of individuals having the right to decide how their data is used. He remarked, “Somebody is monetising your data. But it will get to a point where you should also have your rights to either agree or disagree on the usage.” Maida explained that laying foundations for data rights is crucial as society moves towards the concept of data unions, shifting focus from traditional labor unions.
Dr. Maida further elaborated on the necessity for individuals to be aware of the data they generate and understand their rights surrounding that data. He warned that without this knowledge, others might exploit or monetize the data. He clarified, “If they do not know it, somebody will monetise it. So when they say you are using the platform for free, it is not really free.”
In his address, the National Commissioner of the NDPC, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, stressed the indispensable role of the NCC in ensuring data privacy and protection within the telecom sector. He stated, “How do we properly situate data privacy and protection within the telecom sector? We cannot do it without you. It is your mandate.” Olatunji emphasized the importance of the partnership in supporting the NCC’s regulatory role from a privacy perspective.
Dr. Olatunji further noted that combining expertise and skills in data privacy with regulatory functions is essential to effectively serve the nation and its people. He said, “This MoU is to see how we can effectively work together on privacy and protection of the data of all Nigerians as well as have data with controllers and processors.”