The Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB) revealed it harvested a total of 1,230 compliant audit reports at the formative stage of the agency.
The bureau’s National Commissioner, Dr Vincent Olatunji made the remark when he paid a courtesy call on Prof. Adesoji Adesugba, Managing Director, Nigeria Export Processing Zones Authority (NEPZA) in Abuja.
Olatunji explained that the visit was aimed at collaborating with NEPZA to create awareness on the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) in the country’s Free Trade Zones in order to fast track the country’s digital economy.
It is interesting to state that the active implementation of the NDPR began in 2019 and by 2020, 630 data controllers filed NDPR compliance Audit Report with the figure increasing by almost 100 per cent in 2021 with about 1,230 audit filings. This led to the creation of 8000 jobs and cumulative earnings in the sector hitting over 4 billion naira,’’ Olatunji said.
He also explained that not less than 3 million organisations in the country with corporate identity that handled data, saying that the bureau had ensured full compliant under the NDPR so far.
The NDPB boss, therefore, expressed delight on NEPZA’s readiness to activate partnership of zones’ operators with the agency, adding that the move would bolster investments in data businesses and protection in the country.
He, however, recalled that the bureau was established by President Muhammadu Buhari on the recommendation of the Hon. Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, describing the development as that which placed economic values in the hands of all citizens.