The National Commissioner and CEO of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Dr Vincent Olatunji, received in audience the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Emerging Markets Telecommunications Services (EMTS), Mr Obafemi Banigbe, and his team. EMTS, the current management of T2Mobile (formerly 9Mobile), paid the visit to discuss compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 (NDP Act), and to explore potential areas of collaboration with the Commission.

Mr Banigbe commended the Commission, under the leadership of Dr Olatunji, for its remarkable efforts and the development of robust frameworks that continue to advance data protection and privacy in Nigeria. He gave an overview of EMTS’s operations and highlighted several new initiatives, including a project to localise data by building a local cloud infrastructure. According to him, this aligns with the NDPC’s framework on data sovereignty. He further noted that EMTS has deployed tools to combat cybersecurity threats and is committed to integrating data protection into all its initiatives. Mr Banigbe reiterated the company’s readiness to collaborate with the Commission in achieving its mandate and expressed enthusiasm about being a strategic partner.

In his remarks, Dr Olatunji commended EMTS for its its ongoing commitment to compliance and openness to collaboration. He emphasised that all stakeholders in the privacy ecosystem, including telecom operators share the responsibility of safeguarding citizens’ data and maintaining public trust in Nigeria’s digital economy. He also stressed the importance of awareness and capacity building among staff, noting that human error can often be the weakest link in data protection.

Dr Olatunji further emphasised the need to foster trust and confidence in Nigerian businesses, a goal that aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda under the NDP Act.

The meeting concluded with discussions on potential areas of collaboration between the NDPC and EMTS.