NDPC, Ondo State Partner to Enhance Digital Literacy, Employment
Na’ankwat Dariem, Abuja
The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has expressed readiness to partner with the Ondo state government in enhancing digital literacy. This partnership aims to promote a culture of data protection, thereby creating employment opportunities for young people in the state.
The National Commissioner, NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, stated this when he received the Ondo State Deputy Governor, Olayide Adelami, at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, Nigeria.
Dr Olayide said the purpose of his visit was to explore possible areas of collaboration between NDPC and the state in a way that fosters development for the people of the State.
According to him, “Our government is passionate about youth development and one of the ways to ensure our youths are gainfully employed is to equip them with the right skills needed for 21st century workplace. In view of this, we have identified ICT as one key area to upskill our youths and expand their capabilities so as to be globally competitive.
“My visit here today is to meet with the team at NDPC to establish a partnership that will enable us train thousands of young graduates in Ondo state as data protection officers, realizing the enormous opportunity in this field.”
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Responding, Dr Olatunji commended the move by the Ondo state government to explore the potentials of data protection in empowering its young citizens, decried what he described as the dearth of data protection officers in Nigeria, stressing that only 10,000 out of 500,000 available positions are currently filled.
He said, “Unauthorised access to data will lead to breaches, and breaches will lead to lots of implications, such as reputational damage, financial loss and in extreme cases, death.”
The NDPC Boss noted that the Ondo state government’s commitment to addressing this issue and its potential to enhance trust and confidence in governance.
Dr Olatunji accepted the proposed collaboration, expressing the Commission’s eagerness to work with the Ondo state government to promote a culture of Data Protection, enhance capacity, and create employment opportunities within the state.
“Jobs will be available for the youths of Ondo state when they are trained and certified as Data Protection Officers, which will also give room for global competition.”
This collaborative effort between NDPC and the Ondo state government signifies a significant step towards harnessing data protection for youth development and governance enhancement, ultimately contributing to the progress and prosperity of Ondo state and Nigeria as a whole.
