NDPC to Train Public Sector Officials and Parastatal Heads on Data Protection Policies

Oghenevwede Ohwovoroile in Abuja

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 across Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) on Monday in Abuja.

Olatunji said the commission is preparing a programme to educate permanent secretaries and parastatal leaders nationwide.

“We’ve already opened a conversation with the head of the civil service of the federation, the body that controls permanent secretaries and all civil servants, and we are discussing the appropriate timing to bring all permanent secretaries together to raise awareness,” he said.

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

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

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

“Looking at the wave of attacks in recent months, we felt it’s really important 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 they protect their network and database from unauthorized access that could lead to negative consequences,” he said.

In her opening remarks, Dr. Tolu Pius‑Fadipe, Head of the Training Committee/Research and Development, said the commission’s goal 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 these technical and organisational measures is for government agencies to test, validate and improve their ability to protect sensitive public data and maintain critical services during crises,” Pius‑Fadipe said.

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