In recognition of her landmark achievements in the advancement of data privacy and protection, Nigeria has been admitted as a member of the Global Privacy Assembly (GPA).
Daily Trust reports that the Nigeria Data Protection Bill assented to by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu was a major consideration in accrediting the country as a member of the prestigious assembly.
Similarly, the establishment of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) under the Act as the independent data protection authority is a key index in assessing the adequacy of data protection in a country.
The decision on Nigeria’s accreditation was announced during the 45th Global Privacy Assembly Closed Session, held between October 15th through 20th, 2023, in Bermuda, a statement by NDPC said on Tuesday.
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GPA, which was instituted in 1979, seeks to provide an international platform for coordinating trans-border efforts in the advancement of data privacy and protection.
It currently comprises 130 data protection authorities from countries around the world. Germany, the United Kingdom, Spain, South Africa, Portugal, Canada, and Senegal are some of the countries with DPAs in the Global Privacy Assembly.
Upon receiving the news of Nigeria’s status as a member of the GPA, the National Commissioner/CEO of the NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, expressed optimism that the effort of the federal government on digital transformation is yielding positive results.
