From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
Nigeria and Uganda are deepening regional cooperation on data protection and privacy in a bid to strengthen Africa’s digital economy and boost investor confidence.
The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) on Tuesday hosted a high-level delegation from Uganda’s Personal Data Protection Office (PDPO) in Abuja on a strategic study visit aimed at understudying Nigeria’s regulatory framework and operational model.
Welcoming the Ugandan team, led by the Director of Data Protection Affairs, Mr Stephen Mugabe, the National Commissioner and CEO of NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, said Nigeria’s successes in data protection were anchored on a deliberate Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model.
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A statement issued by the Spokesperson for the Commission, Itunu Dosekun, quoted Olatunji saying, “Our approach is the PPP model. We experimented, and it worked. We licensed private sector organisations to carry out compliance as a service on behalf of the Commission. We started with 15, but we now have 257,” Olatunji said.
He urged the Ugandan regulators to adapt solutions that fit their local realities, invest in indigenous capacity building, and not shy away from innovation. “Don’t be afraid of experimenting. Don’t be afraid of failing,” he advised.
Olatunji also highlighted Nigeria’s pioneering move to localise the certification of Data Protection Officers (DPOs), saying the strategy aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s economic agenda to attract and sustain foreign direct investment (FDI) through stronger regulatory frameworks and a secure digital environment.
Mugabe commended the NDPC’s professionalism, stakeholder engagement, and commitment to data subject rights. “Our aim with this visit is to understand the daily operations of the NDPC, department by department, and take back lessons that can be adapted to the Ugandan context,” he said.
The two delegations held in-depth sessions on organisational structure, regulatory compliance, enforcement, data breach response, public awareness, strategic partnerships, and international cooperation.
Olatunji stressed that harmonising policies and enforcement mechanisms across Africa was crucial as “data has no borders”.
He added, “It is only through such partnerships that Africa can develop a data protection and privacy ecosystem that is efficient, secure, and respected globally.”
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