The Federal Executive Council (FEC) has approved Nigeria’s Data Protection Bill for further ratification and ratification by the National Assembly.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Nigerian Head of Data Protection Bureau, Law, Enforcement & Regulation, Babatunde Bamigboye, on Wednesday in Abuja.
“…According to this historic agreement, the Bill will now be sent to the National Assembly as an Executive Bill through the office of the Hon. Minister of Justice and Attorney General of the Federation,” the statement said.
President Muhammadu Buhari approved the establishment of the Nigerian Data Protection Bureau last February to ensure compliance with the Nigerian Data Protection Regulations.
The approval of the bill was made after the request of the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami.
According to the statement, the Bureau is mandated, inter alia, to implement the Nigerian Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) and coordinate the course of action that can be used for data protection.
Core purpose
The statement noted that the main objective of the bill is to safeguard the fundamental rights and freedoms and interests of data subjects, as guaranteed in the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He said some of the main provisions of the bill include the regulation and processing of personal data; promoting data processing practices that maintain the security of personal data and the privacy of data subjects; and ensure that personal data is processed fairly, lawfully and responsibly.
Another core function is to protect the rights of data subjects as well as provide means and solutions in the event of a breach; ensure that data controllers and data processors fulfill their obligations to data subjects; establishing an impartial, independent and effective regulatory Commission to monitor data protection and privacy issues and monitor data controllers and data processors; strengthen the legal basis of the national digital economy to ensure Nigeria’s participation in the regional and global economy through the reliable use of personal data.
Commenting on the bill, the National Commissioner and CEO of NDPB, Vincent Olatunji, called on all stakeholders to work with the government to ensure the sustainability of the abundant opportunities in Nigeria’s digital economy.
“With the full support shown by the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, a clear signal has been sent to the global data processing ecosystem that Nigeria is committed to safeguarding the fundamental rights and freedoms of Nigerians who may be affected in one way or another by the activities of data controllers. and data processors,” he added.
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