NDPC plans data protection training for Ondo youths

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission has restated its readiness to work with state governments to promote a culture of data protection that would also help create employment opportunities for young people in the state.

The commission’s National Commissioner, Dr Vincent Olatunji, revealed this when he received the deputy governor of Ondo State, Olayide Adelami, at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

This was made known in a statement signed by the Head of Media Unit, NDPC, Itunu Dosekun, on Saturday in Abuja.

Adelami said the purpose of his visit was to explore possible areas of collaboration between the NDPC and the state in a way that fosters development for the people of the state.

He said, “Our government is passionate about youth development, and one of the ways to ensure our youths are gainfully employed is to equip them with the right skills, needed for the 21st-century workplace.

“In view of this, we have identified ICT as one key area to upskill our youths and expand their capabilities so as to be globally competitive.

“My visit is to meet with the team at NDPC to establish a partnership that will enable us to train thousands of young graduates in Ondo State as data protection officers, realising the enormous opportunity in this field.”

Olatunji, while commending the move by the Ondo government to explore the potential of data protection in empowering its young citizens, decried what he described as the dearth of data protection officers in Nigeria, reiterating that only 10,000 out of 500,000 available positions are currently filled.

He commended the deputy governor’s understanding of the importance of data protection.

He said, “Unauthorised access to data will lead to breaches, and breaches will lead to lots of implications, such as reputational damage, financial loss, and in extreme cases, death.”

He acknowledged the Ondo State Government’s commitment to addressing this issue and its potential to enhance trust and confidence in governance.

The statement added that Olatunji accepted the proposed collaboration, expressing the commission’s eagerness to work with the state government to promote a culture of data protection, enhance capacity, and create employment opportunities within the state.

“Jobs will be available for youths of Ondo State when they are trained and certified as Data Protection Officers, which will also give room for global competition,” he said.

This collaborative effort between NDPC and the Ondo State Government signifies a significant step towards harnessing data protection for youth development and governance enhancement, ultimately contributing to the progress and prosperity of Ondo state and Nigeria as a whole.

On June 12, 2023, President Bola Tinubu signed the Data Protection Bill into law to advance the privacy rights and other fundamental freedoms of Nigerians both in cyberspace and in analogue transactions.