The Director General, National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Mal. Kashifu Inuwa has reiterated data is a critical component of the digital economy being championed by the federal government.
Thus, NITDA as an agency of the federal government in charge of Information Technology regulation, will protect personal information of Nigerians online.
While speaking at a panel discussion during Nigeria Bar Association Annual General Conference held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Mal. Inuwa noted that every moment spent on the internet leaves personal data footprints on social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc) and search engines (Google, Bing, Yahoo, etc) making the companies get richer through yet free services, but with the personal data of individuals stored online.
“Data is the lifeblood of Digital Economy that includes Metadata. The amount of data globally in 2020 was 44 zettabytes which the world is expected to reach 75 billion in Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices by 2025”, Inuwa, who was represented by Barr. Olufemi Daniel said.
He said research has shown that the value of individual personal data on digital platforms is about $12 per person, thus paving way for technology companies to generate revenue.
According to him, the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR), which was issued in January 2019 pursuant to Section 6 (a, c) of the NITDA Act 2007 is the current National law on data protection in Nigeria.
He noted that the law applies to public and private sector processing personal data within and outside Nigeria, adding that the Regulation is aimed at protecting the right to privacy, creating the right environment for digital transactions, job creation and improving information management practices in Nigeria.
