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The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has embarked on significant collaborations to safeguard sensitive information in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive.
The Commission has partnered with the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN) and Kano State Government to ensure data protection and promote digital economy.
The partnership with MDCN aims to protect sensitive health information, while the collaboration with Kano State demonstrates the state’s commitment to implementing the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDP Act) 2023.
The NDPC’s National Commissioner/CEO, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, has welcomed these developments, emphasizing the importance of data protection and privacy in the health sector and beyond.
A working group has been established to advance the relationship between the NDPC and MDCN, including the drafting and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
These initiatives underscore the government’s commitment to harnessing data as a critical resource for national development, fostering transparency, accountability, and innovation.
It will be recalled that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the NDP Act 2023 into law on June 12, 2023, marking a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to protect personal data and promote digital economy, in line with the President’s 8-point agenda.
He also emphasized the importance of data-driven decision-making and data transparency as well as international collaboration. He said, “We must let our data speak for us. We must publish verified datasets within Nigeria and share them in internationally-recognised repositories. This will allow global benchmarking organisations to track our progress in real-time and help us strengthen our position on the world stage”.
In the light of this, the National Commissioner/CEO of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Dr. Vincent Olatunji welcomed the Registrar/CEO of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), Prof. Fatima Kyari, and her team on a working visit to the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Prof. Kyari commended Dr. Olatunji’s efforts in advancing Nigeria’s data protection ecosystem, acknowledging the MDCN’s critical role in maintaining the register of medical practitioners and the sensitive health records of Nigerians.
Prof. Kyari emphasized the potential national security risks associated with any compromise of the data held by the MDCN. Their visit aimed to seek NDPC’s guidance on policy development, ensuring alignment with global best practices in data protection and privacy. Specifically, the MDCN requested input on their digital health guidelines, policy development, governance framework, and capacity building for their personnel, affirming a commitment to secure, lawful, and ethical handling of sensitive information.
Dr. Olatunji commended the MDCN’s proactive stance, agreeing on the extreme sensitivity of health data. He highlighted the severe consequences of inadequate data safeguarding, including misdiagnoses, stigmatization, and even fatalities. He reiterated NDPC’s readiness to collaborate with the MDCN to embed data protection and privacy as a fundamental culture within the health sector.
To formalize this critical partnership, a working group has been established to advance the relationship between the NDPC and MDCN, which will include the drafting and signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the two organizations. This collaboration is set to significantly bolster the protection of sensitive health information for all Nigerians.
In a related development, Dr. Olatunji recently hosted a high-level delegation from the Governor of Kano State, His Excellency, Alhaji Abba Kabir Yusuf; led by the Honourable Commissioner for Science, Technology and Innovation, Dr. Yusuf Ibrahim Koformata, demonstrating the state’s proactive approach to implementing the NDP Act. During this meeting, Dr. Olatunji reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to supporting the state’s initiatives and provided the delegation with insights into the fundamentals of the data protection ecosystem.
