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By Nwakaego Alajemba
Want to know how to keep your personal data private and safe? Take these tips from the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
Meanwhile, programme of activities to mark the National Privacy Week by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) continue today with a virtual class for secondary school students on Online Privacy Protection. Also today, a webinar is to hold on NIN Preserving Privacy – Promoting the Digital Economy.
This year, NITDA chose ‘Harnessing data as a critical asset in the digital economy’, as the major theme for the weeklong celebration to raise awareness on data assets, security and privacy.
In Jos, Plateau State, central Nigeria, the Child Cyber Protection (CC-Pro) organisation, is similarly hosting a webinar to mark the Privacy Week with the theme: ‘Surf Safe – Data Privacy is Your Right.’ The webinar is focusing on creating privacy awareness among young people, particularly in secondary schools.
Part of the objectives of the Privacy Week is to make citizens aware of their data privacy rights and also provide critical information on the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR, 2019) as it affects all sectors within the public and private sectors.
NDPR, issued by the NITDA, is Nigeria’s primary data protection legislation. It provides the legal framework for data protection compliance requirements and managing breaches including the imposition of penalties for defaulters.
Since 25th January 2019 when it became the effective regulation for data protection compliance, all public and private entities that process the personal data of more than 1000 data subjects in a period of six months and 2000 data subjects in a period of 12 months must submit a Data Protection Audit Report to the NITDA.
“NITDA is not oblivious of the information deficit of most Nigerians as regards the issue of data protection. We realized that wielding the big stick without adequate awareness would lead to apathy and, or rebellion,” said Director General of NITDA, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, at a media briefing this week in Abuja to kick-start activities for the Data Privacy Week.
The NITDA kicked off the National Privacy Week on Monday, January 25th. Round up activities hold tomorrow, January 28th: the World Privacy Day with a commemorative speech expected from the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Ali Pantami.
Nigeria officially joined the rest of the world last year January to celebrate the World Privacy Day. According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia, “Data Privacy Day (known in Europe as Data Protection Day) is an international event that occurs every year on 28 January. The purpose of Data Privacy Day is to raise awareness and promote privacy and data protection best practices across the world.
