Abstract
The rapid expansion of Nigeria's digital economy has resulted in unprecedented levels of personal data generation and processing. Financial institutions, telecommunications providers, e-commerce platforms, health service providers and government agencies increasingly rely on digital infrastructure to deliver services to millions of users. While this transformation has improved efficiency and widened access, it has also heightened the risk of data breaches capable of exposing large volumes of sensitive personal information. Public concern has been sharpened by reports surrounding the alleged commercial access to National Identification Number (NIN), Bank Verification Number (BVN) and related identity data, even as the National Identity Management Commissiondenied that its core database had been compromised. These developments have raised serious questions about governance, access control and security safeguards across Nigeria's digital ecosystem.
