The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) said it has reopened its portal to register organizations interested in becoming Data Protection Compliance Organizations (DPCOs).
The Commission disclosed this in a statement signed by its Acting Head of legal, Enforcement, and Regulations, Adamma Isamade. According to the NDPC, registering more DPCOs becomes imperative as data controllers in the country are now over 500,000.
Data controllers are organizations whose businesses involve handling people’s data. These include institutions like telecom operators, banks, fintechs, schools, and government institutions, among several others. On the other hand, the DPCOs are organizations licensed by the NDPC to help the data controllers comply with the Nigerian data protection law.
“With an estimated 500,000 Data Controllers operating in Nigeria, the demand for DPCOs has never been higher. Currently, NDPC has licensed approximately 183 DPCOs, leaving significant room for additional partnerships,” the Commission said.
The Commission noted that the registration portal, which was previously closed in 2023, has been revamped to accommodate new DPCO applicants. Through a robust Public-Private Partnership model, NDPC licenses private organizations to monitor, audit and report on compliance by Data Controllers and Data Processors in accordance with Section 33 of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, it said.
According to the Commission, this unique model, exclusive to Nigeria, has garnered worldwide attention from Data Protection Authorities.
“Beyond regulatory compliance, NDPC envisions the registration of new DPCOs will act as a catalyst for nurturing a robust data protection culture in Nigeria.
“By promoting awareness, conducting audits, ensuring compliance, and enhancing capacity-building initiatives, DPCOs contribute to safeguarding individuals' privacy rights, foster trust and confidence in the digital space, and uphold legal and ethical standards in the data protection and privacy ecosystem,” the Commission stated.
Prospective DPCOs are encouraged to visit here to commence the registration process
Through the registration of DPCOs, the NDPC is targeting achieving twin objectives of enforcing data protection and creating jobs. Just recently, the Commission disclosed that the country’s data protection industry created 10,123 jobs for Nigerians in 2023.
In Addition, the Commission in its 2023 annual report also revealed that the 2023 data protection cumulative revenue rose to N6.2 billion as against N5.5 billion in 2022. The report stated that other areas that the rates increased included Compliance Audit Report which recorded 3,451 reports from 2022 to 2023, against 1,864 from 2020 to 2021.
As of the time the Nigeria Data Protection Bill was signed into law last June, the National Commissioner of the NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji said that the industry had contributed N5.5 billion to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP). With the Act in Place, Olatunji declared that the industry’s contribution to the GDP would jump.
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