The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has called for stronger data protection measures in Nigeria’s digital education sector, urging stakeholders to make privacy and the protection of students’ personal information a central part of the country’s ongoing digital transformation in education.
According to the National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the NDPC, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, every digital initiative in the education sector should be built with privacy safeguards from the outset to ensure compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023 and strengthen public trust in digital learning platforms.
Olatunji made the call while speaking as a panellist at the official launch of the Digitalised Nigeria Education Management Information System (DNEMIS), organised by the Federal Ministry of Education.
During a panel session titled “Data-driven Education Planning and Management as Components of National Planning,” he said the DNEMIS platform should adopt the principle of Privacy by Design, with robust privacy policies, encryption, transparency, data minimisation and end-to-end security measures embedded into its architecture.
The NDPC boss said safeguarding students’ personal data is both a legal obligation under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 and a critical requirement for building confidence in Nigeria’s expanding digital education ecosystem.
He noted that as Nigeria accelerates the digitalisation of its education sector, protecting personal data must remain a priority to ensure technology-driven reforms are implemented in a secure, transparent and accountable manner.
Olatunji said the NDPC is ready to work with the Federal Ministry of Education to ensure the Digitalised Nigeria Education Management Information System aligns with global data protection standards and international best practices.
He also welcomed the commitment of the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, to data protection and privacy, describing the minister’s directive for the DNEMIS implementation team to begin engagement with the commission as an important step towards building a trusted digital education system.
According to Olatunji, collaboration between government institutions and regulators is essential to creating a secure and inclusive digital education ecosystem that protects learners’ rights while supporting data-driven education planning and national development.
Other panellists at the event included the Statistician-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Bureau of Statistics, Prince Adeyemi Adeniran; Director of Educational Planning, Research and Development at the Federal Ministry of Education, Mrs. Obianuju Anigbogu; UNICEF Nigeria’s Chief of Education, Vanessa Lee; and the representative of the World Bank Country Director, Matthew Verghis.
