Stakeholders across government, private sector and regulatory agencies have underscored the central role of trust, ethics and collaboration in safeguarding personal data as Nigeria deepens its digital transformation.

They made the call at the National Data Privacy Summit, organised by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, to mark the 2026 Global Data Privacy Day and the commission’s anniversary of establishment in Abuja.

Global Data Privacy Day is celebrated annually on January 28, but activities in Nigeria were extended to a week-long programme from January 28 to February 4 due to low public awareness of data protection issues.

Aminu Maida, executive vice-chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, in his remarks at the grand finale of the event, said implementing the Nigeria Data Protection Act had brought about a turnaround in the data privacy ecosystem.

Mr Maida said that NDPC’s efforts have laid a strong foundation for a trusted system that supported national development and citizen empowerment. He noted that emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data analytics, the Internet of Things, fifth-generation networks and cloud computing, presented both opportunities and risks.

”Privacy is at the cornerstone of building trust for adoption and a prerequisite for sustainable progress. Emerging technologies hold immense promise for Nigeria’s digital economy, but they also introduce complex risks to personal data and individual rights,” he said.

The EVC disclosed that the NCC and NDPC had finalised a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen collaboration on data protection in the telecommunications sector.

According to him, this MoU will deepen our collaboration, streamline regulatory alignment, enhance capacity building and ensure harmonised approaches to privacy, ultimately delivering greater protection for consumers and enabling ethical innovation.

Similarly, Esther Walson-Jack, head of the Civil Service of the Federation, said that data protection was no longer optional in governance. She noted that protecting personal data was a fundamental obligation that underpinned trust, reinforced ethical governance, and sustained meaningful innovation.

He commended the NDPC for its work in policy development, regulatory oversight and capacity building, saying such efforts were laying the foundation for responsible governance.

(NAN)