The Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, on Thursday urged the country to see the current shortfall of no fewer than 5,000 certified Data Protection Officers (DPOs) nationwide as a big opportunity for job creation for young people in the data protection sector.

Olawande, who made this observation in Abuja during the launch of the Youth Data Protection Awareness and Training (YDPAT) program organized in partnership with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), regretted that awareness and compliance, especially among the youth population, remain very low despite the passage of the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023.

“As we speak, there are fewer than 5,000 certified Data Protection Officers nationwide. We see this gap as a big opportunity for job creation for young people in the data protection sector,” he noted.

According to the Minister, the YDPAT program is a collective response to the challenge, adding that it is a forward-looking intervention designed to train young Nigerians to close the gap in the data privacy sector.

Olawande maintained that the training was conceived to also raise awareness of the NDPA 2023 and global privacy standards and to build a national movement of digitally literate and security-aware youth.

“This program is about building a privacy-first generation, and doing so with inclusion and sustainability in mind. It also aligns perfectly with the Renewed Hope Agenda of the current administration, with a vision to empower and secure our young people and make them digitally competitive, both locally and globally.

“To the Nigerian youth here today and those watching online: this program is for you. You are the architects of the digital age. Through this program, we will train youth and also recognize them as partners in safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s digital future.

“Today, we will unveil the YDPAT platform, which is an interactive, youth-friendly portal for training, certification, resources, and ongoing engagement,” he explained.

Also speaking, National Commissioner, NDPC, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, who decried a huge gap in the data protection sector, urged youths to take advantage of the opportunities in the sector.

“The NYSC alone will bring us about 280,000 youths after service year. Where are they going to work? This is a new career path which is emerging in Nigeria. It is still new, still fresh and hot. So I advise all of you to take this seriously. This is just the beginning. There are a lot of courses that you can take in it to build yourselves.”