The Nigeria Knowledge Safety Fee (NDPC) has teamed up with the Federal Ministry of Well being and Social Welfare to champion information privateness reforms throughout Nigeria’s healthcare system.
In line with a press release by the Head of Media Unit at NDPC, Itunu Dosekun, the strategic alliance was introduced throughout a working go to by NDPC’s Nationwide Commissioner/CEO, Dr Vincent Olatunji, to the Coordinating Minister of Health, Professor Muhammad Ali Pate.
Dr. Olatunji famous that with Nigeria’s healthcare sector quickly embracing digital transformation, the necessity to shield sufferers’ private and medical information has by no means been extra pressing.
The NDPC CEO noticed that from hospitals and HMOs to diagnostic labs and analysis establishments, healthcare suppliers are accumulating huge quantities of non-public info — a lot of it extraordinarily delicate.
“This sector is mostly delicate, and the sort of info collected has to do with medical information, which might be used to discriminate towards anybody in search of to have good healthcare,” Dr Olatunji stated.
Olatunji stated the collaboration additionally ties into President Bola Tinubu’s broader push to create jobs within the digital financial system.
In line with him, the information safety sector has already change into a N10 billion trade, with greater than 10,000 licensed professionals now within the ecosystem — up from fewer than 5,000 simply two years in the past.
He estimates that with over 500,000 information controllers in Nigeria and solely 10,000 licensed Knowledge Safety Officers (DPOs), there’s room to create as much as half one million new jobs.
Professor Pate welcomed the partnership, describing the healthcare sector as a “distinctive” area the place massive volumes of non-public and demographic information are collected each day.
He expressed confidence within the NDPC’s technique and affirmed the Ministry’s dedication to making sure compliance throughout its 107 related companies.
He additionally raised pertinent questions on how the NDP Act applies to information processed exterior Nigeria and whether or not analysis information and biodiversity info are adequately protected.
Dr Olatunji clarified that the legislation has an extraterritorial attain.
“Even in case you are exterior Nigeria, when you course of the information of Nigerians, you’re inside scope — and that’s why we’re at the moment investigating world platforms like Truecaller and TikTok,” he stated.
He additionally defined that any cross-border information transfers should meet strict requirements via an “adequacy choice” to make sure that Nigerians’ rights are protected.
Final month, the NDPC unveiled the Nigeria Knowledge Safety Act – Normal Utility and Implementation Directive (NDP Act-GAID), which offers complete tips to assist information controllers and processors adjust to the legislation.
