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Nigerian data protection ombudsman, National Commissioner (NC) of the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB), Dr. Vincent Olatunji, is seeking support of the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) to drive data privacy compliance across all of the operations of the postal agency.
“It is now increasingly clear that in the now evolved digital economy, countries will not do businesses with other countries that don’t have privacy laws,” said Nigeria’s Chief Data Security Officer while urging NIPOST, a major data processor and controller, to develop robust privacy policy, organizational and technological measures as well as staff capacity building in line with the provisions of the Nigerian Data Protection Regulations (NDPR).
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Olatunji, who was speaking on importance of data privacy and protection in a digital economy during a recent courtesy visit to NIPOST, said the digitization of existing traditional postal processes has made it exigent to give utmost attention to data of individuals lest they are inadvertently exposed to privacy abuses.
“Now we are talking about digitizing all processes right from birth of individuals to their death which has laid credence to the fact that we have to adequately protect the kind of information and data we upload on the internet”, noted Olatunji whose bureau is the watchdog over Nigeria’s nascent data protection sub-sector.
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He said data subjects need to know how their data is being “handled, processed and protected by data processors in a global digital economy worth over $11.5trillion.”
Data privacy with protection is increasingly becoming the focus of global stakeholders as it defines the world’s digital economy by re-orientating the foundation of corporate wealth and employability of individuals. In Nigeria, all government ministries, departments and agencies (MDAs) are under obligation to implement the country’s data protection rules
“On your website, you need to emphasize more on your privacy policy which must be simple, effective and clearly displayed. We will also be building the capacities of your regional officers on data protection procedures since they are the front-liners who have direct interaction with people and their data”, he added.
NIPOST needs to engage a Data Protection Compliance Organizations – DPCOs
While highlighting the need for NIPOST to engage a Data Protection Compliance Organization (DPCO) to put them through the NDPR compliance measures, Olatunji said DPCOs have been instrumental in the traction gained in the implementation of the NDPR which has also helped in the growth of the Nigeria’s economy.
“We have licensed 103 DPCOs and an average DPCO employs nothing less than 10 people depending on their capacity and the number of clients they are dealing with. This has helped in job creation in the country with a total of over 8000 jobs created in the ecosystem”, he disclosed
He said the DPCOs “will take NIPOST through the compliance process on an annual basis and file their audit report with the bureau which will be published subsequently on the bureau’s website.
The published report according to Olatunji will lay credence to the fact that NIPOST has complied fully, taken the issue of data privacy seriously and demonstrate synergy amongst the agencies under the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.
Postal Regulator must ensure compliance among courier and logistics companies
He said NIPOST as the postal regulatory agency needs to also ensure to that all courier and logistics companies under its purview comply with data privacy laws in order to earn the trust of Nigerians.
“We are developing tool kits for different sectors in the country based on their peculiarities and will work with you to ensure that the provisions of the NDPR are not only complied with but seen as a culture”, Olatunji added.
NIPOST Postmaster General, Dr. Ismail Adebayo Adewusi, while commending the nister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami for recommending the appointment of Dr. Olatunji as the pioneer National Commissioner of the Bureau, described the data regulator as as round peg ina round hole.
“Truth be told, Dr. Olatunji is a highly professional and cerebral technocrat who has adequately discharged all the assignments he has been entrusted to handle over the years and is a perfection description of a round peg in a round hole”, he asserted.
He applauded the data bureau for their continuous drive at ensuring data protection compliance and assured it of support within the operations and regulatory scope of NIPOST.
“NIPOST has been educating and sensitizing people on the role of posts in a digital economy considering the critical role it plays in the movement of people’s goods, parcels, mails and financial services across the globe. NIPOST is at the centre of dealing with people’s information, and so has a serious responsibility to protect people’s data within their domain,” said Adewusi.
