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President Muhammadu Buhari is seeking the approval of the Senate for the Nigerian Data Protection Bill sent to it as an Executive Bill. The president made his request in a letter addressed to the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, and read at plenary on Tuesday, 4 April.
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“According to Section 58, subsection 2 of the 1999 Constitution as amended, I forward herewith the Nigerian Data Protection Bill for consideration and approval of by the Senate,’’ the president stated in his letter.
The Bill seeks to provide a legal framework for the protection of personal information and the establishment of the Nigerian Data Protection Commission for the regulation of laws on personal information.
The main objective of the bill is to safeguard the fundamental rights and freedoms and the interests of data subjects, as guaranteed under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Some of its key provisions also include the regulation and processing of personal data; promoting data processing practices that safeguard the security of personal data and the privacy of data subjects; and ensuring that personal data is processed in a fair, lawful and accountable manner.
Others are protecting data subjects’ rights as well as providing means of recourse and remedies in the event of breaches; ensuring that data controllers and data processors fulfill their obligations to data subjects; establishing an impartial, independent and effective regulatory Commission to superintend over data protection and privacy issues and supervise data controllers and data processors; strengthening the legal foundations of the national digital economy to guarantee the participation of Nigeria in the regional and global economies through the beneficial trusted use of personal data.
Earlier this year in January, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the Nigeria Data Protection Bill. Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo presided at the FEC meeting. The FEC is the cabinet of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and is part of the executive branch of the government, the country’s highest decision making body.
Last year February, President Buhari approved the establishment of the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau to ensure compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR). The Bureau is headed by the National Commissioner/CEO, Dr. Vincent Olatunji.
