NDPC to Train Perm Secs and Parastatal Heads on Data Protection

The National Data Protection Commission (NDPC) announced plans to train permanent secretaries and heads of parastatals on data protection.

NDPC National Commissioner, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, made the statement at the opening of a three‑day technical and organisational drill for information technology administrators from Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on Monday in Abuja.

Olatunji said the commission is preparing to conduct training sessions for permanent secretaries and parastatal leaders across the country.

“We’ve already opened conversations with the head of the civil service of the federation, the body that controls permanent secretaries and all civil servants, and we are working with them to schedule a time that will allow us to bring all permanent secretaries together in one group to raise awareness,” he said.

“Let them understand what data protection is all about, because public servants and civil servants in all ministries and parastatals are the ones who approve it.”

“We believe in a bottom‑up approach… we also complement that with a top‑down approach. By the time the files from the subordinates reach them, it’s very easy for them to approve and give them the right to participate in whatever we are doing,” he added.

He noted, “No matter how robust your plans and policies are, if you don’t have the qualified human capital and skilled personnel to drive what you are doing, you can’t achieve anything, and that is why this is really important.”

He added that “looking at the wave of attacks in recent months, we felt it’s really important for us to create awareness, let network administrators and data protection officers know what they need to put in place in terms of technical and organisational measures, to ensure that they protect their network and database from unauthorized access that will lead to negative consequences.”

According to him, such incidents can lead to financial losses or reputational damage.

In her opening remarks, Head of the Training Committee/Research and Development, Dr. Tolu Pius‑Fadipe, said the commission’s aim is to build a strong data privacy architecture across MDAs, fostering a culture of responsible data management.

“The commission is very committed to ensuring personal data and rights are well protected. Therefore, the purpose of this technical and organisational measure is for government agencies to test, validate, and improve their ability to protect sensitive public data and maintain critical services during crisis,” Pius‑Fadipe said.