Information and Communication Technology stakeholders have stressed the need for Nigeria to have a data protection law that will address issues of data theft and unathorised use of personal data that have over the years, put the privacy rights of Nigerians at risk.
Some of the stakeholders, who spoke to THISDAY, argued that what NITDA has is not a law but a regulatory document that makes implementation and enforcement less effective. Teniola further called for a stakeholders’ conference on the review of the country’s data protection law that would have the input of all relevant stakeholders before it is signed into law.
“Nigeria needs secondary legislation on data protection and the ninth National Assembly must rise up to the challenge and revisit the bill and review it for speedy approval by President Buhari,” Sesan said. Reacting to the situation, the Director, Cybersecurity at NITDA, Dr. Dimie Wariowe, said an executive body could make a regulation that can be enforced as law, in the absence of an existing law.