NDPC, NIMC Onboard About 4,000 NIMC Staff On VPA

The National Commissioner/CEO of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Dr Vincent Olatunji, and the Director-General/CEO of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engineer Abisoye Coker-Odusote, held a press conference on the training of about 4,000 NIMC staff on data protection and privacy via the Virtual Privacy Academy (VPA).

In his speech, Dr Olatunji commended Dr Coker-Odusote for her leadership of NIMC and commitment to data protection and privacy. He stated that the best technologies still rely on human capital to function maximally and commended NIMC for onboarding its entire workforce onto the VPA.

Dr Olatunji noted that NIMC is strategic to Nigeria as it is the custodian of the country’s foundational identity; hence, the need for it to have technical and organisational measures in place to safeguard the personal data in its care. He reiterated the Commission’s commitment to supporting NIMC and encouraged NIMC staff to take advantage of the training.

In her remarks, Dr Coker-Odusote commended the NDPC, under the leadership of Dr Olatunji, for its continued collaboration with NIMC. She stated that NIMC is committed to protecting the personal data in its database, adding that while it has advanced technology systems, NIMC staff must be trained to handle personal data in line with the provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 (NDP Act).

Dr Coker-Odusote added that all its initiatives have been created with privacy by design in mind to achieve a secure, trusted and digitally inclusive Nigeria, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR. She proposed extending the training to its frontline partners, as well as annual continuous training for all NIMC staff.