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Dr. Vincent Olatunji, the National Commissioner and CEO of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), has inaugurated the Local Organising Committee (LOC) for the upcoming Network of African Data Protection Authorities (NADPA-RADPA) Conference and Annual General Meeting, set to take place in May 2025 in Abuja. The inauguration ceremony was held in Abuja.
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Nigeria, through the NDPC, will host the 10th edition of this prestigious conference and AGM. The event is expected to attract esteemed delegates and participants from across Africa and beyond, including Heads of Data Protection Authorities, data protection experts, multinational corporations, development partners, and foreign investors. This initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agenda for economic growth and job creation.
In his opening address, Dr. Olatunji expressed gratitude to the LOC members for their enthusiasm and commitment to collaborating with the Commission to ensure the event’s success. He emphasized the importance of the conference, calling it the largest event in Africa’s data protection and privacy ecosystem.
“This event is not just about the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy (FMCIDE) or the NDPC alone, but about Nigeria. That is why we have selected committee members from diverse sectors,” he stated.
Itunu Dosekun, Head of the Media Unit at NDPC, noted in a statement that the LOC includes representatives from various sectors, including FMCIDE, NCC, NIPOST, NIGCOMSAT, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the World Bank (represented by the ID4D Project Office), Digital Transformation Center, European Union, Meta, Google, AWS, Microsoft, Management Edge, ISACA, MasterCard, the Office of Data Protection Commissioner of Kenya, and media organizations, among others.
Dr. Olatunji encouraged committee members to work together and share ideas to showcase Nigeria to the world and ensure the event’s success. He emphasized that the conference would serve as a critical platform to present Nigeria as a peaceful, safe, and attractive destination for investment. “We must highlight Nigeria’s positive image and prove that Nigeria is a good and hospitable country,” he added.
He also noted that hosting the NADPA-RADPA conference underscores Nigeria’s swift progress in data protection since the NDPC’s establishment and the nation’s dedication to data protection and digital innovation on the global stage. “Though we started later than some in the data protection and privacy ecosystem, we have already made significant strides, even at the global level,” he remarked.
The Network of African Data Protection Authorities (NADPA-RADPA), established in Ouagadougou in September 2016, consists of 23 Data Protection Authorities, along with members holding observer status from across Africa. Its primary goal is to foster collaboration and exchange among its members while amplifying Africa’s presence in global partnerships.
