The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), in partnership with the World Bank and Smart Africa, has commenced a cross-regional data protection collaboration hosting delegates from nine African countries in the first phase of a week-long exchange programme aimed at strengthening regulatory systems across the continent.
The programme, scheduled to hold between May 4 and May 5, 2026, brings together representatives from The Gambia, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ethiopia, Burundi, Somalia, Malawi, Zambia, and Kenya. Nigeria is hosting the opening phase, while Kenya will host the concluding segment.
The initiative is designed to promote practical learning and experience-sharing among data protection authorities at different stages of development, with a focus on how countries are building and implementing their regulatory frameworks.
Also participating are representatives from regional bodies including the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the Economic and Monetary Community of Central Africa (CEMAC), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), reflecting efforts to deepen cooperation on data governance across regions.
The programme aligns with the Federal Government’s broader push under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to strengthen Nigeria’s role in the global digital economy and expand international collaboration in the technology sector.
It is supported under the World Bank-financed West Africa Regional Digital Integration Project (WARDIP) and implemented in partnership with Smart Africa as part of ongoing efforts to improve regulatory capacity and build trust in Africa’s digital space.
The current engagement builds on a similar initiative in 2025, when the NDPC hosted data protection authorities from Botswana, Eswatini, Mozambique, Sierra Leone, Tanzania, and The Gambia on a study visit focused on data governance, organised in collaboration with the African Union and the European Union.
This year’s exchange places emphasis on moving from policy development to practical implementation, with focus areas including regulatory frameworks, institutional capacity, complaints management, enforcement systems, digital tools, and strategic planning.
The collaboration is expected to strengthen institutional capacity, encourage peer learning, and support the development of more coordinated and trusted data protection systems across Africa.
