NDPC highlights data protection, AI governance at CAC annual retreat

Innovation & Technology, News, Technology

ABUJA, Nigeria (NPA) — The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has highlighted the need for strong data protection, artificial intelligence (AI) governance and cybersecurity frameworks as public institutions adopt advanced digital technologies.

The National Commissioner/Chief Executive Officer of the NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, was represented by officers from the Commission’s IT and Cybersecurity Department, Mr Abubakar Bello Adamu and Mr Abubakar Mahmud, at the 2026 Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) Annual Retreat.

The retreat, themed “Artificial Intelligence (AI) at Scale: Advancing an Intelligent Corporate Registry for Efficient and Trusted Service Delivery,” examined practical approaches to integrating modern automated systems into public registries while ensuring data privacy, AI governance and cybersecurity safeguards.

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In a joint presentation titled “Data Protection & AI Governance,” Adamu and Mahmud said data protection principles under the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 (NDP Act), must extend to AI training processes.

They stressed the importance of conducting Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) for high-risk automated decision-making and highlighted the need for a multi-layered governance framework.

According to them, such a framework should include human-in-the-loop oversight, algorithmic auditability and transparent model controls to safeguard citizens’ rights.

The NDPC representatives reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to continuous regulatory oversight, robust risk management and strategic inter-agency collaboration.

They said these measures were essential to building public trust and ensuring that technology adoption across public institutions remained secure, inclusive and privacy-centric.