The Nigerian government has issued a mandatory compliance directive to all federal ministries, departments, and agencies, ordering them to strictly enforce data privacy laws and strengthen data governance.
The circular, signed by Secretary to the Government of the Federation George Akume, follows a directive from President Bola Tinubu instructing public institutions to safeguard personal information in accordance with the country’s Nigeria Data Protection Act.
Under the new rules, heads of government bodies will be held personally liable for ensuring their organizations comply with privacy regulations issued by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC).
Key compliance requirements
The federal directive outlines several mandatory steps for public institutions:
- Appoint Privacy Officers: Agencies must designate qualified Data Protection Officers (DPOs) and officially register their contact details with the NDPC.
- Funding and Audits: Ministries are required to allocate specific budget lines for data security, employee training, and technical safeguards, while submitting mandatory annual compliance audits.
- External Oversight: Government bodies must engage licensed external compliance organizations to support regular privacy audits where necessary.
Push for data accountability
Speaking on the directive, NDPC Chief Executive Vincent Olatunji said data accountability is essential to the government’s broader economic and administrative reform agenda.
To assist public institutions in meeting the requirements, the regulator has launched a specialized support unit to guide agencies through technical compliance.
Nigeria passed its primary data protection legislation in 2023 as part of efforts to regulate the digital economy and protect citizen privacy across both the public and private sectors.
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