Nigeria Data Protection Commission has stated that it investigated 213 privacy breaches comprising unauthorised data sharing and non-compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act, in the year 2024.
It also stated that in 2024, it generated N12 billion data as a result federal government enforcement of data protection regulations as against the N4 billion recorded in 2021.
This was contained in the commission’s annual report released on Tuesday.
It said between 2020 and 2021, the NDPC recorded 1,864 compliance reports from organisations, while between 2023 and 2024, this figure rose to 4,691, indicating an increase in awareness and adherence to data protection regulations.
According to commission, the data protection sector also became a major employment generator, creating 23,000 jobs in 2024, up from 10,123 in 2023.
Additionally, the number of Verified Data Protection Officers (DPOs) increased from 362 to 2,888 in the same period, showing an increasing demand for trained professionals.
In Nigeria, data privacy is enshrined as a constitutional right, as stated in Section 37 of the Constitution, which protects the privacy of citizens’ homes, correspondence, telephone conversations, and telegraphic communications.
