By Martin Ekpeke
The Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria (CSEAN) has applauded the Nigerian House of Representative for the passage of the Data Protection Bill, which provides for the establishment of the Data Protection Commission.
The President of CSEAN, Mr. Remi Afon, while speaking to IT Pulse on the telephone, noted, though overdue, the association is happy that the bill has finally been passed by the House of Representative, hoping that the Senate will do same.
“The passage of the bill is a step in the right direction and we commend the House of Representatives for passing this bill which is long overdue. The next step is for the Senate to consider the bill and approve it as a matter of urgency. Cyber Security Experts Association of Nigeria has been advocating for Data Protection Law for the past 5years and we are delighted that legislative progress is being made,” he said.
Afon explained that the bill will be charged with the responsibility for the Protection of Personal Data and Data Subjects’ Rights and Regulation of the Processing of Personal Information.”The bill, when finally signed into law, will see an increase in the number of Data Protection Officers in the country,” he added.
In the today’s world of big data analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence, where organisations are making a fortune from data mining, the benefits of the Data Protection Bill cannot be overemphasized. The bill contains strict rules called data protection principles which organisations, government and businesses must follow to keep personal data accurate, safe and secure.
It also ensures that personal data are used fairly and lawfully and not kept more than necessary. The bill, when passed into law will ensure Nigerians personal data are protected.