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Tag: NDPB

  • GTBank, Zenith Bank in trouble over alleged data breach

    GTBank, Zenith Bank in trouble over alleged data breach

    The Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB) has commenced an investigation into allegations of data breach against Guarantee Trust Bank (GTBank) and Zenith Bank.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Mr Babatunde Bamigboye, Head, Legal Enforcement and Regulations of NDPB said this in a statement issued in Abuja.

    Bamigboye said the investigations were triggered by allegations of unlawful disclosure of banking records to a third party, unlawful access and processing of personal data.

    National Commissioner of NDPB, Dr Vincent Olatunji in the statement said the investigation would cover the data governance practice of the banks in all their branches in Nigeria.

    He said this would extend to all third parties carrying out their data processing activities.

    “The bureau notes with concern that many data privacy and protection regulations and best practices are hardly implemented down to the organizational strata of major data controllers in Nigeria.

    “Similarly, the bureau enjoins rganisations  to heed the Federal Government circulars and general compliance notice directing them to send the names of their Data Protection Officers/Contacts to the Bureau.

    “There are reports by Nigeria Inter Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) which indicated that within nine months of 2020, fraudsters attempted 46,126 attacks and they were successful with 41,979 occasions representing 91 per cent of the time.

    “This level of vulnerability to data breach is unacceptable,” he said.

    According to him, such attacks can only be addressed through foolproof data security and data privacy measures by data controllers,data processors in the industry.

    Olatunji, however, enjoined all financial institutions to emulate the Central Bank of Nigeria in compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) 2019 by creating a robust data governance system.

    He also called on all organisations to leverage on the ongoing National Privacy Week to set their records straight on how they handle the data of citizens.

    Olatunji added that enforcement measures would be taken against wilful violators of privacy rights going forward.

  • Privacy Week: Nigeria’s data protection market value hits N5.5bn — Pantami

    Privacy Week: Nigeria’s data protection market value hits N5.5bn — Pantami

    The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami said that the market value of Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB) in Nigeria has hit N5.5 billion.

    Pantami disclosed this at a press briefing to mark the commencement of the 2023 Global Data Privacy Week on Saturday in Abuja.

    The annual Data Privacy Day is with the theme: “Think Privacy First”.

    Pantami said: ”Data is critical to the country and it is a global best practice, otherwise it will be difficult to attract so many interventions and benefits to the country.”

    He said that data privacy was not only an enabling law but a constitutional right as long as citizens were innocent and law abiding.

    The minister said the NDPB had so many benefits through having the law in place and an authority to implement it on behalf of the country.

    Pantami said: “The NDPB has created many jobs that the value as at today amounts to N5.5 billion.

    “Today. it is a global best practice that you must have the law in place, otherwise you will find it difficult to attract so many interventions and benefits to your country.

    “Even potential investors these days ask questions whether you have data protection law covering your country or not.

    “If you do not have any data protection law in place, they feel uncomfortable coming into your country to invest because today data is critical.

    “We usually say data is the new oil but sometimes I even argue that data is water because water is a necessity for survival and data is a necessity for knowledge based economy survival.”

    According to him, there is no way a knowledge-based economy would be established without data.

    ”Water, when stored, could be used at any moment. The same with data,” he said.

    All these, Pantami said were why the MInistry came up with the proposal of having a full-fledged data protection institution and also a principal legislation of data protection relation in Nigeria.

    “The law about data protection is not in any way to punish our citizens, but rather to create awareness so that we will all be data compliant.

    “That is why it is important. We are urged to comply, and today because of awareness creation, reaching out to other institutions, sanctions and interrogating others, you will discover that the compliance rate is going higher,” Pantami said.

    The National Commissioner of NDPB, Dr Vincent Olatunji, said the aim of the privacy week was to sensitise people and disseminate privacy practices and principles across the society.

    Olatunji said that the commission, born out of National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) was to encourage everyone to own up to their responsibilities in order to bring about a culture of privacy.

    “It is a day that has been set aside to create awareness of fundamental rights and freedoms relating to the privacy of citizens in the data processing ecosystem.

    “As at today, we have sensitised over 50 Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs). We now have a circular that all must comply with the provisions of the law,” he said.

    Nigeria is the first African country to celebrate the international data privacy day alongside the developed countries.

    Recall that the NDPB bill was recently approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) for transmission to the National Assembly.

  • Buhari appoints Olatunji NDPB pioneer national commissioner

    Buhari appoints Olatunji NDPB pioneer national commissioner

    President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the appointment of Dr Vincent Olatunji, as the National Commissioner/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Data Protection Bureau (NDPB).

    The approval followed a request made by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami.

    This is contained in a statement issued by Mrs Uwa Suleiman, Spokesperson of the Minister, on Friday in Abuja.

    The NDPB, she said, was established in line with global best practice and would focus on data protection and privacy for the country, among others.

    “The successful implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) for a Digital Nigeria has significantly increased the adoption of data platforms and accelerated the datafication of our society.

    “This has increased the importance of having an institution that focuses on data protection and privacy,” she said.

    She further explained that the issuance of Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR), subsidiary legislation to the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Act 2007, increased awareness about the need for data protection and privacy.

    She said that the NDPB would be responsible for consolidating the gains of NDPR and support the process for development of a primary legislation for data protection and privacy.

    Newsmen reports that Olatunji holds a PhD in Geography and Planning from the University of Lagos and an Advance Diploma in Computer Science.