TECHDIGEST – In exemplary implementation of a major aspect of the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) provisions, the National Information Technology Development Agency, (NITDA) has unveiled the NDPR compliant visitors register.

By this action, NITDA becomes the first Nigerian government agency to implement a key aspect of the NDPR.

The Director General of the Agency, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa formally launched the booklet at the end of the Agency’s first staff meeting of the year 2022 with all staff in attendance either physically or virtually.

Inuwa said: “NITDA is statutorily mandated by the NITDA Act of 2007 to, inter alia; develop regulations for electronic governance and monitor the use of electronic data interchange and other forms of electronic communication transactions as an alternative to paper-based methods in government, commerce, education, the private and public sectors, labour and other fields, where the use of electronic communication may improve the exchange of data and information.”

“Recognizing that many public and private bodies have migrated their respective businesses and other information systems online, information solutions in both the private and public sectors now drive service delivery in the country through digital systems. These information systems have thus become critical information infrastructure that must be safeguarded, regulated, and protected against atrocious breaches.”

“Data protection applies to all transactions intended for the processing of Personal Data, notwithstanding how the data processing is being conducted or intended to be conducted in respect of natural persons in Nigeria’’, the Director-General said during the launch.

He stated that organisations in Nigeria were caught scrambling to comply with the NDPR when it was launched in 2019.

“Most organisations especially Small and Medium Businesses (SMB) are finding it difficult to comply with some of the basic requirements of the regulation due to financial constraints,” he added.

The NITDA DG disclosed that a recent study has revealed that many Nigeria public institutions and small business owners are still confused by the rules around data protection and privacy regulations.

“Disturbingly, out of 30 surveyed, 100 percent confirmed their paper visitors’ books are not confidential and do not protect the visitors’ personal data. Another 98 percent admitted they do not dispose of paper visitor books securely and confidentially – leaving the personal data of millions of employees and customers at risk,’’ he added.

He explained that when putting NDPR procedures in place, it’s very likely that many organisations did so with the misconception that the new law only affects data collected online.

According to him, the NDPR  applies to all acts of personal data collection and processing, no matter how and where it takes place, visitor data, employee personal data, e.t.c.

Inuwa disclosed that the Data Services Protection Limited (DSPL) patented visitor’s book was selected amongst the most innovative NDPR product at the 2021 Privacy Week organised by NITDA.

The visitor’s book pages are duplicates and works by making personal data details on the visitor’s book invisible on the first page while capturing the data on the duplicate page.

This basic but ingenious visitor’s book is cheap in comparison with the expensive digital visitor’s management solutions.

He, however, noted that the visitor’s book is an addition to the processes of computing the visitor’s data electronically.

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TECH DIGEST – Data protection is the nucleus of digital economy, the CEO of Data Services Protection Limited (DSPL), Mr. Tunde Balogun, has said.

Mr Balogun, who is also the convener of the Association of Licensed Data Protection Compliance Organisations of Nigeria (ALDPCON), said Nigeria’s increasing official interest in data is because government is coming to terms with data as the real asset of the new or digital economy.

He spoke, on Sunday, during a training session for some ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) in Ibadan, Oyo state.

According to him the Federal Government in its wisdom, through the National Information Technology Agency (NITDA), issued the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) of 2019 as the principal data protection legislation to address concerns around privacy and protection of personal data which also focuses on the grave consequences of leaving personal data processing unregulated.

The NDPR issued by the NITDA on 25 January 2019 pursuant to Section 32 of the NITDA Act 2007 as subsidiary legislation to the NITDA Act 2007 is only a purveyor of the wider sets of data legislations now at the National Assembly expected to guide Nigeria’s data protection journey and march into the digital economy said Balogun whose company is licensed to operate as a Data Protection Organisation (DPCO).

DPCOs are licensed under the NDPR to provide professional data protection services to public and private entities. There about over 70 licensed DPCOs tasked with monitoring compliance to the NDPR.

Balogun, whose company offer data protection tasks for a number of private and public clients including the governments of Plateau and Oyo states, admitted that there is a growing awareness among stakeholders on data as an asset worth a high level of protection.

“The good thing is that some of our people are beginning to understand why data must be protected in all ramifications. Plateau state started this journey last year. Also, a good example is the government of Oyo state where we are currently implementing data protection services for about eight ministries, departments and agencies as part of the first phase of the scheme,” he said.

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TECH DIGEST – Oyo State Government has entered into agreement with Data Protection Services Limited (DSPL) to help in the implementation of the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR).
By law, all public and private organisations that process the personal data of more than 1000 data subjects in a period of six months and 2000 data subjects in a period of 12 months must submit a Data Protection Audit Report to National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

According to NDPR provisions, the submission is annual and mandatory. Data protection audit filing must be not later than March 15 of every year.

All public and private entities handling data must comply with the NDPR and only DPCOs are licensed to ensure compliance.

DSPL is one of the data protection compliance organizations (DPCOs) licensed by the NITDA to provide such services.

To this end, among others, part of the services DSPL will be delivering in Oyo include: trainings and awareness creation for employees of the state on data privacy policies for ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs); collection of data, disposal of data; and audit of the state’s MDAs to assess their level of data protection maturity.

Speaking on the partnership, the Chief Executive Officer of DSPL Nigeria Limited, Tunde Balogun, said that DSPL will immediately commence work with the State Government on data protection related matters.

As a leading data protection company, DSPL is already providing similar services for the Plateau State, central Nigeria.

TechDigest gathered that it has particularly guiding the Plateau State Internal Revenue Service (PSIRS) to meet the compliance requirements of the NDPR.

The NITDA introduced the NDPR in 2019 and is designed to safeguard the right of natural persons to data privacy, foster safe conduct of transactions involving exchange of personal data.

MDAs handle largest data at risk of breaches
Now doubt, the new deal in Oyo State will further consolidate DSPL’s professional presence as a leading data protection company with immense experience servicing the public sector to meet the compliance requirements of the NDPR.

“The MDAs of governments, whether Federal or State, in the country handle the largest amount of personal data that could be easily compromised, thereby leading to a breach of the NDPR. As a professional company, DSPL guides clients through a mix of complex awareness tools and trainings to ensure they meet the requirements of the law as specified annually,” said Balogun.

The NDPR sets out to deal comprehensively with the protection of the personal information of Nigerian citizens and anyone resident in Nigeria.

“We are an organisation founded to meet the unique needs of each of our clients and provide a workable framework allowing them to meet their compliance obligations under the law,” added Balogun while assuring the state government of the company’s commitment to ensure it meets the NDPR guidelines in real-time.

Data drives digital economy
Data drives the digital economy and as Nigeria repositions to become more digitised, data merits and risks will be higher requiring increased government oversight role and regulation, said Balogun.

His words: “Data compliance is a critical issue as we become more technology driven and adhere to the tenets of a digital economy.”

DSPL’s services include NDPR Gap Analysis, allowing companies to effectively be data processors or controllers in relation to information about customers, employees and suppliers as ruled under the NDPR; Security Level to identify databases and their required security level; Website Compliance including website scanning for compliance gaps with NDPR cookies and consent requirements; Corporate Governance Procedures that covers updating and writing of corporate governance documents, procedures, guidelines and information security procedures; and Mapping for mapping organizational computer systems and databases as well as Mapping of data processing activities.

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