The National Commissioner/CEO of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Dr Vincent Olatunji, received a delegation from Nasarawa State University, Keffi (NSUK), led by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academics), Professor Muhammad Maikano Ari.

Representing the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Sa’adatu Liman, Professor Ari commended the NDPC, under the leadership of Dr Olatunji, for the remarkable work being done by the Commission. He proudly announced that NSUK is the pioneer university to comply with the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 (NDP Act).

During the meeting, the representatives of NSUK, comprising professors and other senior staff of the university, presented a few requests to the Commission. These included the NDPC’s endorsement of NSUK as an institutional partner to drive data protection awareness. Citing the university’s Centre for Cyberspace Studies, which currently runs postgraduate programmes in Data Forensics and Data Science, they sought the Commission’s support to introduce new programmes in Data Protection and Governance, as well as to strengthen capacity-building efforts across the North-Central region of Nigeria.

In his response, Dr Olatunji commended NSUK for its leadership in compliance, noting that it is the first university in Nigeria to have a professor serving as a Data Protection Officer (DPO), alongside a Deputy DPO. He gladly approved the requests presented, and in support of the proposed Data Protection and Governance programme, he offered to serve as one of its lecturers.

Dr Olatunji highlighted some of the Commission’s ongoing initiatives, including the establishment of Data Privacy Clubs, the Virtual Privacy Academy (VPA), and the 2026 Privacy Week, which will focus on young Nigerians. He encouraged NSUK to take an active part in these activities to harness the opportunities they present.

To advance this partnership, a working group was constituted to develop a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalise the collaboration.