The Vice President of Nigeria, Kashim Shettima, made the statement during the opening ceremony of the 8th Annual General Assembly and Conference of the Network of African Data Protection Authorities (NADPA). The event, themed “Balancing Innovation in Africa: Data Protection and Privacy in Emerging Technologies”, was organised by the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) with the support of its partners in Abuja.
“We recognize that data is not just a digital resource. It is a human story told in numbers – the fabric of trust in our economies and the currency of reliability in our institutions,” said Shettima.
“Our ability to share data securely and legally will define our ability to thrive as the African Continental Free Trade Area expands,” he added.
“Nigeria’s journey on data protection has been an evolutionary narrative of progress, proof that when a nation commits to privacy and dignity, transformation follows.
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“The Nigeria Data Protection Regulation came into force in 2019 and in one of the boldest steps of this administration, just 14 days after assuming office, President Bola Tinubu signed into law the Nigeria Data Protection Act and established the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, which hosts this event today,” he said.
In his opening remarks, NADPA President Iro Adamou said the body’s main objective is to foster collaboration among members and amplify African voices in engagements with data protection stakeholders globally.
The Network of African Data Protection Authorities (NADPA) was established in September 2016 in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, as a body uniting national data protection authorities and regulatory agencies across Africa. Its mission is to foster collaboration, capacity building and harmonization of data protection frameworks to strengthen privacy rights and responsible data governance across the continent.
NADPA 2025 brought together participants from over 30 African countries, along with delegates from Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the United States.
