On the heels of the emergence of data-reliant innovation and increased access to personal information stored digitally, the right to privacy of personal data has gained renewed relevance. In Nigeria, this multifaceted right is recognised and protected by the provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Nigerian Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) as well as a host of subsidiary legislation that cater to the many limbs of the right.  In recent years, especially in the last decade, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has created a framework which saddles institutions and individuals with the responsibility of collating, processing and storing such data in compliance with domestic legislation as well as international best practices. As a result of these developments, the landscape of data protection and privacy in Nigeria wears a different, more progressive outlook and is better positioned to protect the rights of Nigerians, foreign nationals resident in Nigeria, as well as businesses.

It is a moot point that proximity to sound legal advice is crucial to business success. Against the backdrop of relative novelty of Nigeria’s data privacy legislation, these regulatory provisions often act as a hurdle in the path of businesses and, where not appropriately handled, may impede their seamless operations and access to clients without breaching legal provisions. To this end, we continue to help our clients deftly navigate through local data protection and privacy requirements by driving the development of processes and policies which recognise the principles of data processing, the rights of individuals and the bases for the processing of personal information in compliance with the NDPR and other relevant legislation.

To ensure the holistic application of our expertise in this area, , we collaborate to develop a robust Data Protection and Privacy Compliance service offering in partnership with Maxut Consulting, a Cyber Security and Data Privacy and Protection Organisation, duly licensed by  NITDA as a Data Protection Compliance Organisation (DPCO). Our Data Privacy and Protection team is comprised of seasoned personnel with extensive data privacy and protection experience, legal and regulatory compliance, and data security knowledge and expertise across the Nigerian and European jurisdictions.

As a team we provide our clients with data privacy and protection advisory services to ensure compliance with local and international data protection laws and to create strong data privacy and protection frameworks that enhance operational compliance.