Export Council, Data Protection Commission Partner to Safeguard Exporters Data

The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) and the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) have agreed to provide a framework that will safeguard personal and corporate transactions within the exporting community.

The Executive Director/CEO of NEPC, Nonye Ayeni disclosed this while receiving in her office, the National Commissioner/CEO of NDPC, Dr. Vincent Olatuniji.

Ayeni noted that with the huge number of registered exporters in the country striving to fulfil several international contract obligations for the export of Made-in-Nigeria products, there was a need to protect these sensitive data to ensure that Nigerian businesses remain competitive in global trade.

She observed that safeguarding personal and corporate data will further attract positive endorsements from the international community and help increase Foreign Direct Investments (FDI) into the country.

The National Commissioner/CEO of NDPC, Dr. Vincent Olatuniji
revealed that the NDPC was established primarily to collaborate with critical stakeholders to safeguard the rights of natural persons to data privacy, foster safe conduct of transactions involving the exchange of personal data, prevent manipulation of personal data and ensure that Nigerian businesses remain competitive in international trade through the safeguards afforded by a just and equitable legal framework on data protection.

He implored the NEPC to establish a data protection and control unit, as the unit he adviced will determine the purpose and manner for processing data to ensure that the methods by which data is collected are strictly in line with the principles of data collection.

Towards this end, Dr. Olatunji said the NDPC was willing to provide capacity building on data protection and control for officers of the Council to make the NEPC compliant with global best practices.