Pantami tasks government agencies, private sector on data protection

Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami, has urged all agencies of government and the private sector to ensure security of data of Nigerians under their custody.

Speaking at a workshop to mark the 2020 World Privacy Day, organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in Abuja, Pantami observed that Nigeria’s quest to attain digital economy cannot be achieved without data protection, as Nigerians must be sure of the privacy of their data before they can accept to migrate to digital platforms.

He said: “The Constitution guarantees data as a fundamental human right, Nigeria data protection regulation is a subsidiary legislation, and it is the right of Nigerians for their privacy to be protected, and any data under the control of government or the private sector should not be abused. Digital economy relies on data and you cannot achieve digital economy without data protection.”

Pantami observed that government is focusing on the digital economy to provide more jobs for Nigerians, and cautioned against disclosing of personal details through unsecured WIFI or social media.

Earlier, Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Abdullahi, said the ultimate goal of the celebration was to raise awareness, promote privacy, and data protection practices. He noted that the government’s Economic Recovery and Growth Plan (ERGP), has three key objectives which include: to restore growth, build a globally competitive economy and accelerate inclusive growth by investing in our people.

Abdullahi noted that ICT was identified as a key enabler for the reform, adding that the action had put Nigeria on a global map of digital nations.