NDPB Boss: NIPOST Should Adopt Data Privacy
TECH DIGEST – With data privacy and protection gaining prominence and recognition around the world as a result of its impact on the digital economy, wealth creation, and employability, all Federal Government Ministries, Departments, and Agencies in the country must ensure the full protection, privacy, and confidentiality of all citizenry data under their purview.
During a courtesy visit to the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) office in Abuja, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, the National Commissioner (NC) of the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB), revealed this.
Olatunji, speaking about the value of data privacy and protection in a digital economy, stressed that the digitization of current traditional processes, which influence individuals from birth to death, should be given the utmost attention and priority. In a worldwide digital economy worth over $11.5 trillion, data subjects, according to the Bureau’s CEO, need to know how their data is handled, processed, and safeguarded by data processors. The country’s Data Security Officer emphasized the necessity of data privacy and protection as an essential component in the march toward a digital economy, forcefully declaring that countries that do not have privacy laws will not do business with them.
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He then urged NIPOST, a major data processor and controller, to develop a robust privacy policy, organizational measures, technological measures, and staff capacity building in accordance with the provisions of the Nigerian Data Protection Regulations, given the volume of data they process on a daily basis (NDPR). “On your website, you should place a greater emphasis on your privacy policy, which should be concise, effective, and easily visible. We’ll also be bolstering the data protection capabilities of your regional officers, as they’re the ones who engage with people and their data on a daily basis,” he added. While emphasizing the importance of NIPOST engaging a Data Protection Compliance Organization (DPCO) to guide them through NDPR compliance measures, Olatunji stated that DPCOs has been instrumental in gaining traction in the implementation of the NDPR, which has aided in the nation’s economic growth. “We’ve licensed 103 DPCOs, and the average DPCO employs between 10 and 20 people, depending on their capacity and the number of consumers they serve.” This has aided in the creation of jobs in the country, with over 8000 positions generated in the ecosystem,” he stated.
The NC went on to say that on a yearly basis, DPCOs will take NIPOST through the compliance process and file an audit report with the Bureau, which will then be published on the Bureau’s website. According to Olatunji, the released report would reveal that NIPOST has cooperated fully, taken the problem of data privacy seriously, and demonstrated cooperation among the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy’s institutions. He then advised NIPOST administration to guarantee that all courier and logistics businesses under their control adhere to data privacy laws in order to earn Nigerians’ trust.
“We are developing toolkits for different sectors in the country based on their unique characteristics, and we will work with you to ensure that the provisions of the NDPR are not only followed, but also seen as a culture,” Dr. Olatunji concluded. In response to the National Commissioner’s speech, NIPOST Postmaster General Dr. Ismail Adebayo Adewusi praised the Honorable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), for recommending Dr. Olatunji as the Bureau’s first National Commissioner.
“Truth be told, Dr. Olatunji is a highly professional and cerebral technocrat who has successfully completed all of the duties assigned to him over the years and is a perfect depiction of a round peg in a round hole,” he stated emphatically. The PMG then praised the Bureau for their unwavering and constant efforts in safeguarding data security in the country thus far. He said that the company has been teaching and sensitizing people about the importance of post offices in a digital economy, citing the essential role they play in the global flow of people’s commodities, parcels, mail, and financial services.
Adewusi stated that NIPOST is at the forefront of dealing with people’s data, and that they have a serious responsibility to protect people’s data within their domain, and that they will work closely with the Bureau to accomplish this.
