The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), in collaboration with the World Bank and Smart Africa, has commenced a cross-regional peer exchange visit aimed at strengthening data protection frameworks across Africa.
The two-day event brought together delegates from nine countries, The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ethiopia, Burundi, Somalia, Malawi, Zambia, and Kenya, alongside regional bodies including the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
Speaking at the event, NDPC National Commissioner, Vincent Olatunji, highlighted Nigeria’s progress since the enactment of its data protection law, describing the country as a growing global reference point in data privacy and regulatory implementation.
“Nigeria is now a reference point for data privacy globally, this exchange is about moving personal data across African borders with trust and appropriate safeguards, ensuring we are respected globally as a unified digital market,” Olatunji.
Olatunji emphasised the importance of indigenous technological solutions, citing locally developed platforms for registration, licensing, reporting, and compliance monitoring within Nigeria’s data protection framework.
He also highlighted initiatives such as hackathons that engage young innovators in building digital tools to support implementation.
According to him, the essence of the exchange lies in collaboration and mutual learning, particularly as African countries seek to establish trusted systems for cross-border data flows.
He stressed that with increasing digital trade under frameworks like the African Continental Free Trade Area, ensuring secure and lawful movement of personal data is critical.
Senior Counsel at the World Bank, Elena Gasol, noted that many countries now have data protection laws but face challenges in institutional implementation.
She explained that the peer exchange is built around practical knowledge sharing rather than traditional training, allowing participants to exchange experiences on enforcement, compliance monitoring, and public engagement.
From the Smart Africa Secretariat, Aretha Mare highlighted the organisation’s vision of a single digital market across the continent, stressing that trust and harmonised policies are essential.
She noted that Smart Africa, which comprises over 40 member states, is actively supporting capacity building and policy alignment through initiatives like the Smart Africa Digital Academy.
Some participants also shared their expectations from the programme. Deborah Haddis said Ethiopia, which passed its data protection law in 2024, is focused on building institutional capacity and seeks to learn from Nigeria’s experience in enforcement and implementation.
Similarly, John Charles Nje noted that The Gambia’s data protection law, enacted in September 2025, is still in its early stages of implementation.
He described the exchange as an opportunity to gain practical insights and strengthen institutional capacity.
The exchange, supported by the West Africa Regional Digital Integration Project (WARDIP), will culminate in each authority making a 90-day implementation commitment, ensuring the lessons learned translate into immediate domestic action.
