Digital trust critical to Nigeria’s $1 trillion economy

Nigeria’s ambition to build a $1tn economy can only be achieved if digital growth is anchored on trust, data protection and shared prosperity, the Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani has observed.

He spoke at a news conference to mark Global Privacy Day 2026, organized by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission with the theme of the day was “Privacy in the Era of Emerging Technologies: Trust, Ethics and Innovation.”

The minister said President Bola Tinubu had been clear about his economic vision and the central role of the digital sector in achieving it.

The minister stressed that connectivity without protection was incomplete, describing data protection and privacy as the foundation of trust, safety and sustainability in the digital economy.

“When we lose trust in this sector, people will be discouraged to actually rely on some of the tools that we hope can transform into economic growth.

He recalled that President Tinubu demonstrated his commitment early in his administration by signing the Nigeria Data Protection Act into law.

Tijani said it was a clear signal that citizens’ rights, dignity and personal data must be protected as Nigeria accelerated its digital transformation.

Dr Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner of NDPC, while highlighting the achievements of the commission said the day was designated to create awareness on data privacy and protection.

Olatunji said the day was to educate citizens on privacy in the digital era, promote responsible data handling and ethical use of emerging technologies.

Among their achievements, he said was the generation of over ₦5.2 billion in compliance revenue, with Nigeria’s data protection ecosystem valued at more than ₦16.2 billion.

Also Read: Tinubu promises Nigerians security, robust economy in 2026

On regulatory performance, Olatunji said the commission has expanded compliance monitoring across public and private sectors, with 38,677 registered Data Controllers and Data Processors of Major Importance in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.

He said 307 Data Protection Compliance Organizations had been licensed, over 8,155 compliance audit returns filed,246 data protection and privacy breach investigations concluded, resulting in 11 enforcement actions, including fines and remediation directives.

Olatunji added that the commission issued the General Application and Implementation Directive, translated the NDPA into three major Nigerian languages, issued compliance notices to 1,348 entities across the banking, insurance, pension and gaming sectors.

He said the ecosystem had creates 23,000 jobs, gained the commission several international recognitions, among other achievements.

In 2026, the NC said they would increase awareness on data protection and privacy, intensify the enforcement of the provisions of the NDPA.

“We are going to increase awareness creation to promote a deeper understanding of data protection and privacy across Nigeria, provide guidance and support to organizations on data protection best practices.

“We are going to engage in capacity building and certify professionals through the National Data Protection Officer Certification to meet global standards in data protection practices,” he said.

Malam Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, said Nigeria’s data protection ecosystem had gained global recognition through policy reforms and NDPC’s work.

Represented by Dr Aristotle Onomu, Inuwa said innovation and privacy were not competing values but complementary pillars of a sustainable digital future.

He called for stronger collaboration among regulators, private sector players, academia and civil society to deepen privacy by design principles and ethical data use across all sectors.

Highlight of the event was the award of National Data Privacy Champion presented to the minister.

NAN