The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has been contacted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for data protection clarifications and awareness raising.
The Commission stated as much during a dialogue between NDPC and INEC at the INEC headquarters.
The meeting’s goal was to guarantee that Nigerian residents’ personal information stored in INEC’s database is properly protected.
The objective is to guarantee sufficient protections for voters’ and citizens’ personal information in order to guarantee fair elections.
Dr. Vincent Olatunji, the National Commissioner/CEO of the NDPC, praised Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of INEC, for his willingness to put the Nigeria Data Protection Act into effect and take steps to secure the private information of Nigerian residents.
“INEC is a data controller; we are all data subjects. The Nigeria Data Protection Act’s legal guidelines must be followed when processing data. Here, any data leak might cause a lot of problems because INEC is a crucial data controller in Nigeria.
Dr. Olatunji was thanked by the INEC Chairman, who emphasized the value of data protection. He mentioned that, with 93 million records from the most recent election, INEC maintains the biggest citizen database in Africa.
“We possess the most private information about our citizens—male and female, young and old—in the executive, legislative, and judicial branches, including their fingerprints and facial biometrics. Before it’s too late, it is preferable to begin sensitization today.
He emphasized that in order to guarantee compliance and educated procedures, INEC must obtain clarity on data protection.
Dr. Olatunji underlined the significance of data protection and the negative effects of insufficient measures, particularly for INEC as they are key data controllers. He outlined the possible repercussions of breaking the law, which may include harm to one’s reputation, monetary loss, and in severe circumstances, even death. He also discussed the fines for breaking the rules, saying that they might be as high as 2 percent of your gross income or 10 million naira. Since the CEO may even face jail time, it is best for everyone to abide by the law.
He listed the compliance requirements for INEC, which include, among other things, establishing a privacy policy, designating a Data Protection Officer (DPO) for both the national office and each state, and hiring a Data Protection Compliance Organization (DPCO). He continued by saying that since anyone might be the weakest link in a data breach, the NDPC will provide free training to INEC employees and designated DPOs.
Cyberattacks, policy, awareness, and the potential DPO’s level were among the other topics covered.
To ensure trust and confidence in INEC’s data processing activities, an implementation committee comprising of personnel from both NDPC and INEC was promptly established to implement data security and privacy safeguards.
