Buhari rubber stamp agency for data protection

The agency will be an independent organization similar to the Information Commissioner’s Office in the UK, tasked with the responsibility for developing primary legislation for data protection and privacy.

The approval comes after recommendations from the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, to the Buhari administration. In a released statement (on Friday) from the spokesperson of the Minister, Uwa Suleiman, the bureau would focus on data protection and privacy for the country and confirmed the appointment of Dr. Vincent Olatunji as commissioner of the agency.

The statement said,

“The successful implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy for a digital Nigeria has significantly increased the adoption of data platforms and accelerated the datafication of our society. This has increased the importance of having an institution that focuses on data protection and privacy”.

“Furthermore, the issuance of the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation in January 2019, as subsidiary legislation to the National Information Technology Development Agency Act 2007, has increased awareness about the need for data protection and privacy.”

“President Buhari also approves the recommendation of the minister of communications and digital economy, professor Pantami, for Dr. Vincent Olatunji to serve as the national commissioner or chief executive officer of the bureau. Dr. Olatunji hails from Ekiti state and, at the time of his appointment, was the director of the e-government development and regulations department at NITDA. The appointment takes effect immediately.”

Dr. Olatunji is an alumnus of the University of Lagos and bagged a Ph.D. in geography and planning and also has an advanced diploma in computer science. In previous stints, he was director of the e-government development and regulation department at the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).