Vincent Olatunji, the National Commissioner of the NDPC, gave a thought-provoking speech on Wednesday at a breakfast gathering organized by the commission for DPCOs in Lagos.
During his opening address, Olatunji stressed the importance of DPCOs practicing self-reflection and pinpointing any areas where they may need to improve their performance. Emphasizing the significance of upholding strong data protection standards, he pointed out that the commission had rescinded 19 licenses in the previous year because of non-compliance problems. Olatunji cautioned that the NDPC plans to implement equally strict measures this year to guarantee compliance with data protection laws.
“They need to know that they have a key role to play in strengthening the ecosystem by registering data processors,” Olatunji said.
“What we have seen from the end of March till now in terms of registration is very low.
“The mantle is on them to drive advocacy by talking to their clients on the importance of data protection and why they need to register. It is necessary to increase the number of data controllers and processors.”
The NDPC boss emphasized that the commission has started to implement the roadmap that was introduced last year while talking about recent accomplishments. Furthermore, Olatunji stated that the commission is working on strategies to boost development and generate employment opportunities.
He highlighted that the commission oversees its 291 registered Data Protection Compliance Organizations (DPCOs) according to their work quality. He emphasized the significance of determining if their actions are truly improving data protection in the country. In order to accomplish this, the commission consistently assesses these DCPOs.