A non-governmental organization, the Data and Knowledge Information Privacy Protection Initiative (DKIPPI), on Tuesday reiterated the importance of data privacy and protection for countries, including Nigeria.
The President of DKIPPI, Mr Tokunbo Smith, made the call while addressing journalists at a news conference to herald the 2026 Data Privacy and Protection Month.
Smith emphasized that data privacy and protection were critical pillars of Nigeria’s national security, economic growth and global competitiveness.
“Weak data protection exposes countries to cybercrime, identity theft, espionage and digital terrorism. However, strong data protection frameworks attract foreign investment and support digital trade, financial technology, health technology and the creative economy,” he said.
The DKIPPI president warned that unprotected personal data posed a serious threat to democracy, individual dignity and national development.
He noted that data privacy was fundamentally about protecting human rights in the digital age, stressing that citizens must have control over how their personal information was collected, shared and used.
“When individuals understand their privacy rights, abuse is reduced and democratic governance is strengthened,” Smith said.
According to him, modern data protection principles are rooted in Convention 108 of 1981, which established global standards for lawful and fair data processing, accountability and respect for individual rights.
Smith said Nigeria’s data protection journey was strengthened by the signing of the Nigeria Data Protection Act in 2023 and ongoing reforms by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission.
He stressed, however, that laws alone could not guarantee privacy, adding that cultural change, awareness and continuous enforcement were equally important.
The DKIPPI president called on the media and civil society organizations to intensify public education and oversight, particularly at the grassroots level.
He announced that activities planned for the month would include community outreach programmes, storytelling on data misuse, school initiatives tagged “My Data, My Right,” professional training for data protection officers and privacy excellence awards.
Smith said the overall goal was to build a secure, inclusive and rights-respecting digital future where innovation aligns with human rights and technology serves humanity.
World Data Privacy Day, celebrated globally on Jan. 28, is aimed at promoting the protection of human dignity, strengthening trust in the digital ecosystem and safeguarding national interests.
