Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu has given his assent to the passage of the Nigeria Data Protection Bill, 2023 into a law.
The newly enacted legislation will provide a legal framework for the protection of personal information, and the practice of data protection in Nigeria.
This was announced by the National Commissioner, Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB), Dr. Vincent Olatunji at the NDPD Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan(SRAP) validation workshop in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
It was learned that the bill was introduced to the Senate and House of Representatives for consideration and passage on Tuesday, 4 April 2023 via a letter from former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Now an Act, the new law establishes the Nigeria Data Protection Commission and replaces the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB) established by President Buhari in February 2022.
The Commission will be headed by a National Commissioner with the responsibility for regulating the processing of personal information.
This is the third law Tinubu would assent to barely three weeks after his inauguration as Nigerian President.
Meanwhile, the President had earlier signed the Student Loan Bill into law which allows Nigerian students to access loans from the government.
The bill will also enable Nigerian students to access loans at interest-free rates.
The piece of legislation had passed the second reading at the House of Representatives on May 25, 2023.
Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the president; Dele Alake, a member of the President’s Strategic team; Tunde Rahman, spokesman of the president; and the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, David Adejoh, witnessed the signing.
