NDPC Guidance Notice: Registration Of Data Controllers And Processors In Nigeria Explained

On June 12, 2023, the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 (NDPA) was signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu marking a significant milestone in the Nigerian data privacy and protection jurisprudence. A major highlight of the NDPA however is the creation of Data Controllers and Data Processors of Major Importance (DCPMI) who must be registered with the commission within 6 months of the commencement of the Act or on becoming a DCPMI.

While this has been lauded as a significant highlight of the Act, it has been criticized on the basis that the Act failed to specify who DCPMIs are. This has seen stakeholders and privacy enthusiasts wait for the NDPC's Notice/Guideline in that regard. It therefore came as a relief when the NDPC by a guidance Notice dated February 14, 2024, and pursuant to Sections 5d, 6(c), 44, 45, and 65 of the NDPA released the Guidance Notice on Registration of DCPMIs.