The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has issued a Code of Conduct for Data Protection Compliance Organizations (DPCOs) in the country.
In a statement by the Head of Media, Itunu Dosekun, NDPC said this is in line with the commission’s enforcement drive in 2024 and the bid to ensure professionalism among firms that are licenced to carry out compliance as a service.
While addressing a meeting of the Commission with the DPCOs, the National Commissioner, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, urged DPCOs to see their role in the implementation of the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023 as a public trust that must be guarded with the utmost sense of responsibility.
Dr. Olatunji noted the opportunities presented by the Act, particularly the lawful use of data and job creation in the data processing value chain.
It will be recalled that NDPA 2023, under Section 33, vests the Commission with the power to license persons having the requisite level of expertise, in relation to data protection and the Act, to monitor, audit, and report on compliance by data controllers and data processors.
This is a unique public-private partnership model that is designed to promote trust and confidence in Nigeria’s digital economy, which, like other economies around the world, thrives on data processing.
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In line with the Code of Conduct, the compliance services that may be offered by DPCOs include, but are not limited to the following:
- Awareness and capacity building
- Registration of the data controller or a data processor with the Commission;
- Development of compliance schedules;
- Implementation of compliance schedules;
- NDPA Compliance Audit and filing of Compliance Audit Returns with the Commission;
- Data Privacy Impact Assessment; and
- Facilitating and Vetting Data Privacy Agreement;
For a firm to operate as a DPCO and carry out compliance services, it must, among others, be duly licensed by the Commission and have a verifiably certified Data Protection Officer. As of November 2023, 163 DPCOs have been licensed by the Commission.
While presenting the Code of Conduct to the DPCOs, the Commission’s Head of Legal, Enforcement, and Regulations, Babatunde Bamigboye, Esq X-rayed the target objectives and the principles, particularly: privacy consciousness, capacity building, accountability, data ethics, and corporate social responsibility.
According to the commission, all DPCOs will be held accountable in line with the provisions of the NDPA, the Code of Conduct, and other regulatory instruments that will be issued by the commission going forward.
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