The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening data privacy and protection within Nigeria’s telecommunications industry.
The agreement, signed on Wednesday at the NCC headquarters in Abuja, provides a formal framework for collaboration between both regulators as Nigeria’s digital ecosystem expands amid rapid advances in digitisation and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI).
Speaking at the event, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, said data protection and privacy regulation had become central to the future of the communications industry. He noted that effective governance of data was critical to sustaining trust, innovation and growth as Nigeria moves deeper into the digital and AI era.
Dr Maida reaffirmed the NCC’s commitment to working closely with the NDPC to ensure that Nigerians’ privacy rights are adequately protected, while maintaining a resilient and forward-looking communications network. He highlighted the sector’s remarkable growth, recalling that Nigeria has expanded from about 500,000 connected telephone lines to more than 170 million active connections.
According to him, the Commission’s mandate goes beyond connectivity to enabling business growth, innovation and national development.
“The next phase of growth lies in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, which cannot function without data generated by users of digital platforms,” he said. “Data is produced by people and belongs to people. Citizens must be aware of the data they generate and the rights attached to it.”
Dr Maida warned that lack of awareness could lead to personal data being monetised without the consent or benefit of its owners, stressing that so-called free digital platforms often rely on users’ data for value creation.
“The future is data. If we do not get the principles of how we govern it right, even our national sovereignty could be undermined,” he said, describing data as a critical component of national sovereignty. He added that for AI to remain relevant and beneficial to Nigeria, the country must continue to generate fresh, locally relevant data within a trusted regulatory environment.
In his remarks, the National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, described the MoU as essential to protecting the data of Nigerians. He said effective implementation of data protection regulation within any sector required close collaboration with the relevant sector regulator.
“We are not taking over the mandate of the telecom regulator. We are adding value to what you are doing, and you add value to what we are doing,” Olatunji said.
He emphasised that the agreement would not be a mere formality, noting that both agencies intended to commence implementation immediately to ensure the privacy and protection of Nigerians’ data.
Dr Olatunji added that coordination and collaboration are core pillars of the NDPC’s regulatory approach, expressing optimism that the partnership with the NCC would enhance data governance in the communications sector. He said both agencies would share knowledge, expertise and build capacity in areas of mutual regulatory interest to strengthen Nigeria’s data protection ecosystem.
The NCC, as the telecoms regulator, and the NDPC, as the authority on data protection, have overlapping responsibilities in ensuring the security of citizens’ personal information. Both commissions said the MoU would help streamline regulatory processes, avoid overlaps in their respective mandates, and ensure clarity in the regulation of data within the communications sector.
The signing ceremony was attended by senior officials of both commissions, including Executive Commissioners of the NCC and directors from the NDPC.
