The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to enhance collaboration on data privacy and protection in Nigeria, which now has nearly 200 million telecommunication lines.
The signing ceremony took place on Thursday at the NCC headquarters in Abuja. Vincent Olatunji, national commissioner of the NDPC, said the partnership is necessary to combine the expertise and capacities of both agencies to effectively safeguard Nigerians’ data.
“Neither institution can fully achieve its mandate in isolation. Cooperation is critical as data becomes central to governance, economic growth, and national development,” Olatunji said. “We don’t want this MoU just signed and kept on the shelf. We want it signed and immediately operationalised.”
In his remarks, Aminu Maida, Executive Vice-Chairman and CEO of NCC, assured the NDPC of the commission’s full cooperation, stressing that sectoral boundaries would not limit joint efforts.
Maida highlighted the progress Nigeria has made in telecommunications under the NCC’s leadership. “The NCC had successfully led Nigeria through an era of connectivity, growing telecom lines from about 500,000 to nearly 200 million. But now the country is entering a new digital phase,” he said.
The MoU is expected to guide collaborative initiatives that enhance data protection, promote digital trust, and ensure the secure handling of personal information across Nigeria’s rapidly expanding digital ecosystem.
