In furtherance of numerous municipal and international instruments on the fundamental right to privacy and in recognition of the unprecedented, positive impact of Nigeria Digital Economy and Policy Strategy (NDEPS) on datafication of the nation’s economy, the Federal Government of Nigeria signed into law the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 (NDP Act) on June 12,2023. The Act established the Nigeria Data Protection Commission whose mandate, inter alia, is to oversee the implementation of the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDP Act).

The Commission complements the work of statutory institutions of government in the common goal of safeguarding the privacy of natural persons. For instance, see Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (CFRN, as amended); Article 12 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; Article 17 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR); Section 8 of Child Rights Act; Part IV of Consumer Code of Practice Regulations (Nigerian Communications Commission); and Article 5.4 of Consumer Protection Regulation (Central Bank of Nigeria).