The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has unveiled a two-year data protection initiative in partnership with Meta Platforms, aimed at strengthening privacy safeguards, improving regulatory compliance, and boosting capacity building across Nigeria’s digital ecosystem.
The programme, titled the Meta-Supported Initiatives for Data Protection (M-SIDP), follows a regulatory engagement between the NDPC and Meta after an investigation into the company’s data processing practices in Nigeria.
The matter was resolved in 2025 through a court-approved settlement, under which Meta agreed to support public-facing initiatives aligned with Nigeria’s privacy framework.
In a statement issued on Monday and signed by the Head of Media Unit and Certified Data Protection Officer at the NDPC, Itunu Dosekun, the commission said the initiative is designed to reinforce “strategic guardrails for data subjects” and will run for two years.
“As part of the settlement, Meta committed to supporting a two-year programme of public-facing data protection measures that aligns with the objectives of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, the NDP Act General Application and Implementation Directive, and the NDPC Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan 2023–2027,” the statement read.
According to the NDPC, the M-SIDP programme will focus on four key areas: governance, research and development; strengthening safety and sustainability mechanisms across the technology ecosystem; capacity development for data protection officers and compliance organisations; and public awareness campaigns targeted at data subjects, particularly vulnerable groups.
The commission stressed that the initiative does not limit its statutory authority, adding that it will continue to independently regulate data processing activities in line with existing laws.
“The commission will consistently provide periodic updates on the implementation of the M-SIDP programme and calls on all stakeholders to support the initiative in advancing a secure and accountable privacy ecosystem in Nigeria,” it added.
The NDPC, established as Nigeria’s data protection regulator, has in recent years increased scrutiny of how organisations collect, process, store, and transfer personal data, as part of efforts to strengthen trust in the country’s growing digital economy.
For Meta, the initiative represents an opportunity to rebuild regulatory relations in one of Africa’s largest internet markets following earlier disputes that attracted attention from policymakers, privacy advocates, and technology stakeholders.
(The Whistler)
