The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) recently conducted a two-day practical audit training for licensed Data Protection Compliance Organisations (DPCOs) in Abuja. The training, held on November 10-11, 2026, was organised in collaboration with Meta under the NDPC Initiative for Data Protection. The event aimed to deepen compliance culture within Nigeria's data processing ecosystem. NDPC National Commissioner and CEO, Dr Vincent Olatunji, declared the training open, emphasising the need for adequate training and retraining of DPCOs.
Dr Olatunji highlighted that the number of licensed DPCOs across Nigeria has grown from 17 to 367 organisations, reflecting rising nationwide demand for data privacy auditing and compliance advisory. He urged DPCOs to uphold utmost ethical standards, warning against nonchalance and sharp practices to avoid penalties. Licenses will be revoked for submitting false or misleading compliance audit reports and inaccurate fillings. The NDPC helmsman emphasised that DPCOs, as licensed entities, must effectively discharge their duties in line with ethical best practices.
The training covered various topics, including Compliance Checklist Audit, Audit Governance and Documentation, Auditing Security and Technical Measures, and Auditing Transfer and Third-Party Systems. Ibukunoluwa Owa, Head of Regulations Unit at the NDPC, discussed the DPCO ecosystem as a public-private partnership approach to privacy regulation. She explained the DPCO code of conduct and noted that limited manpower and resources necessitated the DPCO initiative. Nigeria has over 220 million data subjects, making a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model imperative to raise awareness and deepen the privacy culture.
The directive by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and a July 27, 2026 circular from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) has opened new frontiers for DPCOs in the form of consulting opportunities. The NDPC initiative aims to ensure that Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) comply fully with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDP Act), 2023. This development is expected to enhance data protection and privacy in Nigeria.
Participants at the training expressed appreciation to NDPC and Meta for the training, describing it as a timely intervention in the discharge of their duties as DPCOs. Adefunke Makanjuola from Joan Consult Limited said, “I learnt so much from this training. As DPCOs, there are so many things we were not doing so well before now, but with this training, we are in a better position to do things seamlessly”.
Adaeze Onu of ECAM Global Services Nig. Ltd lauded NDPC for the opportunity, adding that the training has enhanced her understanding of data protection compliance. The participants acknowledged that the training has equipped them with the necessary skills to effectively carry out their duties as DPCOs. The NDPC's effort to train and retrain DPCOs is expected to promote a culture of compliance and data protection in Nigeria.
The NDPC's initiative to train DPCOs is part of its broader efforts to ensure effective data protection and privacy in Nigeria. With 367 licensed DPCOs, the commission is working to promote a culture of compliance and data protection across the country. The training is expected to have a positive impact on the data protection landscape in Nigeria, enhancing the capacity of DPCOs to carry out their duties effectively.
Key points
- The NDPC has trained 367 licensed DPCOs on data protection compliance, emphasising the need for ethical best practices and warning against sharp practices.
- The training covered various topics, including compliance checklist audit, audit governance, and documentation.
- The NDPC initiative aims to promote a culture of compliance and data protection in Nigeria, in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDP Act), 2023.
