The National Commissioner/CEO of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Dr Vincent Olatunji, received a delegation from the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), led by its Registrar, Professor Segun Aina, on a courtesy visit.
Professor Aina expressed his delight at the visit and appreciated Dr Olatunji for the warm reception. He noted that JAMB was making significant progress and highlighted its role as a major player in data processing, handling the personal data of over two million candidates who sit for the UTME annually. He added that JAMB is introducing several initiatives, including the transition to paperless processes, and is keen to integrate data protection and privacy into these initiatives.
The Registrar stated that JAMB is committed to accountability in data protection and privacy and sought to deepen its knowledge, build capacity, and receive guidance from the Commission. He affirmed JAMB’s readiness to fully comply with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDP Act), 2023, and encourage its stakeholders, including over 1,000 Computer-Based Test (CBT) centres nationwide, to comply.
Dr Olatunji commended Professor Aina for his proactive approach, noting that this reflected his leadership. He noted that, given the volume of personal data processed, JAMB is a data controller of major importance and needs to institutionalise data protection and privacy practices in line with the NDP Act, 2023.
Dr Olatunji expressed the Commission’s readiness to work with JAMB to strengthen data protection and privacy in its operations. As part of the support, he offered free data protection training for JAMB staff, as well as vouchers for the Commission’s Virtual Privacy Academy (VPA), to support capacity building. He added that compliance would strengthen accountability and build trust among candidates and other stakeholders.
The meeting also explored other areas of collaboration, including the proposed signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and the establishment of a working group to facilitate cooperation between both institutions.
