The National Assembly has revealed that it is mulling plans to review the National Data Protection Act, 2023, as Artificial Intelligence and the United Nations Convention on Cyber Crimes have created new realities that require an update of the existing legal framework
Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security, Sen. Afolabi Salisu (APC-Ogun), has disclosed plans to review the National Data Protection Act, 2023, in response to emerging threats linked to rapid technological advancement.
Salisu stated this on Tuesday in Abuja during the opening of a three-day Data Protection Awareness Promotion workshop organised for the Joint National Assembly Committee on ICT by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission and Ampersand Development Partners.
According to him, developments such as Artificial Intelligence and the United Nations Convention on Cyber Crimes have created new realities that require an update of the existing legal framework.
He noted that there is a strong connection between data governance and cybercrime, stressing the need to strengthen areas of the law where necessary.
“We need to ensure the security of our country, particularly in the cyber space, our data governance system, as well as technological advancements like AI,” he said.
The senator added that lawmakers must fully understand issues surrounding data privacy and protection in order to effectively legislate in the sector.
“As legislators, we need to have knowledge on data privacy and protection for us to be able to effectively legislate in that area.
“You cannot legislate in an area that you are not sufficiently knowledgeable in. This workshop affords us the opportunity to build our capacity to understand modern principles of data protection and to be in position to review the National Data Protection Act,” he said.
Salisu said the planned review would assess how the law has performed since its enactment three years ago, especially in addressing emerging technologies and aligning with global standards.
“It has been three years down the line, how has this law addressed the need of the nation, particularly given the emerging technologies and how it compares with other countries.
“At the end of this exercise, we would be able to come up with a roadmap and a timeline with a view to reviewing the National Data Protection Act,” he added.
The lawmaker also urged Nigerians to take responsibility for protecting their personal data, warning that many supposedly free public WiFi services and mobile applications often exploit users’ information for advertising and other purposes.
Speaking at the event, the Chairman of the House Committee on ICT and Cyber Security, Rep. Stanley Olajide (APC-Oyo), described data as Nigeria’s future economic asset, saying the country’s next prosperity would come from data rather than oil.
According to him, strong data protection laws are essential for attracting foreign investment.
“No investor would bring foreign funds or capital into Nigeria without making sure that the right data protection law is in place, which Nigeria has,” he said.
Olajide described data as part of the nation’s sovereign wealth and stressed the need for robust legal frameworks to safeguard it.
“Whatever data that we have is our sovereign wealth; it is something that belongs to us. How do we protect it? We have to make sure that the right legal frameworks are put in place so that once there is a breach, entities, corporations or even countries can be held responsible,” he said.
Drawing comparisons with the United States, the lawmaker noted that countries protect data generated within their territories through strict legal controls.
“Anything that resides here in Nigeria and is generated here must be home and protected by our country. So we are putting the right laws and framework in place to achieve that,” he added.
