The National Identity Management Commission, in partnership with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, has commenced a nationwide data protection certification training for its staff.

NIMC’s director-general, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, announced this on Thursday in Abuja during a joint press conference with the national commissioner of the NDPC, Vincent Olatunji.

Ms Coker-Odusote said the programme was aimed at strengthening staff capacity to protect personal data and ensure compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act. According to her, the training will cover data collection, processing, storage, information sharing, breach prevention and incident response.

She said the national identity database remained one of the country’s most strategic assets and required continuous investment in both technology and human capacity.

“As the custodian of the national identity database, we have a responsibility to ensure that personal information entrusted to us is protected in line with global best practices,” she said.

The NIMC boss added that the initiative would also help deepen a culture of privacy, confidentiality and accountability within the commission.

She noted that the increasing use of digital identity for access to government services, healthcare, education and financial services made data protection more important than ever.

Mr Olatunji commended the reforms undertaken by NIMC and pledged the commission’s support towards promoting data privacy and compliance across public institutions.

He said collaboration between the two agencies would help strengthen public confidence in Nigeria’s digital identity infrastructure.

Meanwhile, NIMC also unveiled a regulatory training programme for Front-End Enrolment Partners operating within the national identity ecosystem.

Ms Coker-Odusote said the training would focus on software compliance, cybersecurity requirements, operational standards and regulatory obligations. She said participants would be trained on approved technical standards, software certification procedures, audit requirements and incident reporting protocols.

According to her, all software connected to the National Identity Management System must comply with established security and data protection standards.

She added that the programme was expected to improve compliance, enhance software governance and reduce operational risks across the identity ecosystem.

The NIMC chief urged enrolment partners and technology providers to maintain high standards of accountability and security in delivering identity services nationwide.

(NAN)