By Mercy Aikoye
The National Assembly has commenced moves to review the National Data Protection Act 2023 in response to emerging cyber threats driven by rapid technological advancements.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, Sen. Afolabi Salisu, disclosed this on Tuesday at the opening of a three-day workshop on Data Protection Awareness Promotion in Abuja.
The workshop, organised for the Joint National Assembly Committee on ICT by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) in partnership with Ampersand Development Partners, is aimed at strengthening lawmakers’ understanding of data privacy and protection.
Salisu said developments such as Artificial Intelligence and the United Nations Convention against Cybercrime have created fresh challenges that require legislative attention.
According to him, the evolving digital landscape has revealed a strong connection between data governance and cybercrime, making it necessary to review and strengthen provisions of the Act.
“Since the enactment of the law in 2023, there have been new developments, particularly in areas like Artificial Intelligence and international cybercrime regulations,” Salisu said.
He stressed that lawmakers must continue to build capacity in data privacy and cybersecurity to make informed legislative decisions.
“You cannot effectively legislate in an area where you lack sufficient knowledge. This workshop is designed to equip legislators with modern principles of data protection and privacy,” he added.
Salisu noted that the review process would also assess the effectiveness of the law over the past three years in addressing Nigeria’s digital and security needs.
He disclosed that a roadmap and timeline for the review of the National Data Protection Act would be developed at the end of the workshop.
Also speaking, Chairman of the House Committee on ICT, Hon. Stanley Olajide, described data as Nigeria’s “new gold” and a critical driver of future economic prosperity.
Olajide said robust data protection laws are essential to attracting foreign investment, noting that no serious investor would commit capital to an environment without strong legal safeguards for data privacy.
He urged Nigeria to treat locally generated data as a strategic national asset.
“Anything generated within Nigeria must be properly secured and protected under Nigerian laws,” he said, adding that the country must establish the right legal frameworks to safeguard its digital resources.
He compared Nigeria’s aspirations to global best practices, citing how countries like the United States maintain strong protections over data stored within their jurisdictions.
The lawmakers also urged citizens to become more conscious of protecting their personal information in an increasingly digital world.
