Data Protection Is Constitutional In Nigeria —Pantami

Data Protection Is Constitutional In Nigeria —Pantami
Pantami

Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, has stated that the protection of citizens’ data in the country is not just secondary legislation but a constitutional requirement.

He informed the forum of Ministers attending the Future Tech Forum in London on Tuesday.

Spokesman to the Minister, Uwa Suleiman disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Wednesday.

Also Read: 5G Has No Health Effect, To Reduce Data Cost – NCC

The statement said Pantami, who spoke at the forum titled, ‘The Future Of Trust In Data A A Force For Good,’ disclosed that the Nigeria Data Protection regulation 2019 is in full effect to build trust between the government and the governed, with non-compliance attracting stiff penalties.

“Nigeria already has some policies in place to ensure the protection of citizens’ data and to also build trust between government and citizens.

“There is also subsidiary legislation called the guidelines for processing personal data which gives impetus to the NDPR and assurance of confidentiality to citizens. Thirdly, government also invested in creating awareness among the citizenry to enable understanding of both the regulation and government’s willingness to adhere to the dictates of law regarding confidentiality.”

The Minister also noted that data collection played a significant role in aiding government’s proactiveness in curtailing and managing the COVID 19 challenge in Nigeria.