THE Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to strengthen data protection, improve regulatory cooperation and safeguard the nation’s digital economy.

The MoU, signed yesterday in Abuja, provides a framework for collaboration between both agencies to avoid overlap in their statutory mandates, aligns regulatory processes and ensures clearer governance of personal data generated on communication networks.

Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, Dr Aminu Maida, said the agreement was timely, as Nigeria moves from a phase of basic connectivity to a data-driven digital economy.

He noted that the nation’s telecom sector had recorded massive growth over the years, expanding from about 500,000 telephone lines to nearly 200 million active lines, with over 100 million unique subscribers.

Maida stressed that data has become central to innovation, automation and artificial intelligence, adding that citizens themselves generate the data powering digital platforms.

The EVC assured that the commission would work closely with the NDPC to protect citizens’ data, describing the MoU as more than a ceremonial document.

Earlier in his remarks, the National Commissioner of NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, said global attention had shifted towards protecting personal information as data increasingly circulates in digital and public spaces.

He explained that Nigeria’s data protection framework gained stronger legal backing with the signing of the Nigeria Data Protection Act by President Bola Tinubu on June 12, 2023, and the establishment of the NDPC to implement the law.

Olatunji said that a partnership with sector regulators, especially the NCC, was critical to the effective enforcement of data protection rules.

The agreement also follows the just-concluded data protection event organised by the NDPC, which focused on data privacy awareness, stakeholder engagement and the need for stronger inter-agency collaboration to protect Nigerians’ personal information.

However, Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC), DIG Hashimu Salihu Argungu (rtd), has pledged the organisation’s commitment to protecting personal data in the ongoing recruitment of 50,000 constables.

Argungu made the pledge during the National Data Privacy Summit 2026, organised by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, yesterday, in Abuja.

The summit, themed ‘Privacy in the Era of Emerging Technologies: Trust, Ethics and Innovation,’ brought together key stakeholders to discuss safeguarding personal information in the digital age.

According to a statement issued by the commission’s spokesperson, Torty Njoku Kalu, the PSC boss emphasised the growing importance of data protection in modern policing and law enforcement operations.

Argungu said the commission would strictly comply with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission’s policies throughout the ongoing police recruitment and other institutional processes.

He commended the NDPC and its National Commissioner, Dr Vincent Olatunji, for what he described as pioneering efforts in strengthening data privacy across the country.

Argungu noted that technological advancements had changed crime-prevention strategies, with law enforcement agencies increasingly relying on data-driven intelligence rather than traditional physical policing methods.

He also reaffirmed the commission’s continued collaboration with the NDPC to ensure ethical data management and improved operational transparency.