The National Commissioner/CEO of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Dr Vincent Olatunji, led staff of the Commission on a strategic working visit to the office of the Statistician-General of the Federation and CEO of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), Prince Adeyemi Adeniran.

Prince Adeniran warmly welcomed the NDPC team and commended the Commission, under the leadership of Dr Olatunji, for its efforts in creating awareness about data protection and privacy in Nigeria. He explained the mandate of the NBS, noting that it provides socioeconomic data for Nigeria, coordinates the Nigeria Statistical System, and serves as the custodian of all official statistics in the country.

Prince Adeniran added that the NBS recognises the importance of data protection, particularly within its sector, and therefore ensures compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDP Act), while also working towards strengthening compliance across all its permanent offices in the states of the federation.

In his remarks, Dr Olatunji commended Prince Adeniran for his leadership of the NBS. He highlighted the significant role the Bureau plays in Nigeria’s economy and noted that it is a major data controller and processor due to the volume and sensitivity of the data in its database. He added that collaboration with the NDPC would further strengthen the NBS by enhancing public trust and confidence in its processes. According to him, this will also support the priority areas of Bola Ahmed Tinubu in promoting foreign direct investment in Nigeria.

Dr Olatunji offered free certification for some NBS staff as Data Protection Officers (DPOs), along with complimentary vouchers for the Virtual Privacy Academy (VPA) and free induction training for Bureau staff. Areas of collaboration were explored, including the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), and a joint working group was established to further strengthen the relationship between the two organisations.