On Wednesday, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) issued a Code of Conduct for Data Protection Compliance Organisations (DPCOs) to ensure professionalism in data protection.

The NDPC issued the code at a virtual event organised in Abuja ahead of its scheduled enforcement in 2024.

NDPC national commissioner Vincent Olatunji urged DPCOs to see their roles in implementing the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) as a public trust that must be guarded with the utmost sense of responsibility.

Mr Olatunji said the opportunity presented by the act included the lawful use of data and job creation in the data processing value chain.

“The NDPA 2023, under section 33, mandates the commission to license persons having a requisite level of expertise. The licensing is in line with data protection and the act, to monitor, audit and report on compliance by data controllers and data processors.

“This is a unique Public Private Partnership model which is designed to promote trust and confidence in Nigeria’s digital economy, which, like other economies around the world, thrives on data processing,” he said.

Mr Olatunji said DPCOs had the role of creating awareness and engaging in capacity building and registration of data controllers with the NDPC, including the development of compliance schedules, implementation of compliance schedules, ensuring NDPA compliance audits, and filing compliance audit returns with the agency, among others.

He also said DPCOs must be duly licensed by the commission and have a verifiably certified data protection officer.

Babatunde Bamigboye, NDPC’s head of legal, enforcement and regulations, highlighted the objectives and principles while presenting the code of conduct.

He mentioned some objectives, including privacy consciousness, capacity building, accountability, data ethics and corporate social responsibility.

“All DPCOs will be held accountable in line with the provisions of the NDPA, the code of conduct and other regulatory instruments that have been issued by the commission going forward,” Mr Bamigboye said.

(NAN)