NDPC plans to update Data Protection Act for AI, robotics, big data
By Aboki Forex —
The Nigeria Data Protection Commission has announced plans to review the Nigeria Data Protection Act. The goal is to directly address emerging technologies like artificial intelligence, big data, and robotics. This comes three years after President Bola Tinubu signed the law.
The National Commissioner of NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, made the disclosure in Abuja on Friday. He spoke while marking three years since the NDPA became law on June 12, 2023. He said the fast pace of digital technology has made some parts of the Act outdated.
When the law was first drafted, the digital world was less advanced. References to new technologies were broad and general. Olatunji said the Act now needs to move from vague mentions to specifically naming the technologies shaping the economy.
“We are in the era of emerging technologies. At that time, we could only make general references, but today we can specifically mention AI, robotics and big data,” he said. He added that ten years ago, no one was talking about AI the way they do now. It has become central to digital transformation.
Olatunji stressed that human oversight must remain key. “We still need the human component. We should not leave everything to artificial intelligence,” he said. He also flagged digital footprints and privacy issues as areas needing constant regulatory attention.
He noted that Nigeria’s approach of regular reviews sets it apart from other countries. Many nations still operate under data protection laws passed over a decade ago. Nigeria plans to keep reviewing the NDPA periodically to stop the law from falling behind technology.