NAICOM Partners NDPC To Entrench Data Protection Policy Among Insurers

By Sola Alabadan

The National Data Protection Commission (NDPC)has sought partnership with the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) in order to entrench data protection policy among insurance operators in the country.
This took place when the National Commissioner/CEO of NDPC) Mr. Vincent Olatunji paid a courtesy visit to the Commissioner for Insurance/CEO of NAICOM Mr. Olusegun Omosehin received in Abuja today.
While welcoming the NDPC delegation, the Commissioner for Insurance assured them of NAICOM’s readiness to collaborate with the NPDC towards the attainment of the mandates of the respective agencies.
He highlighted the key functions of NAICOM and areas of mutual benefits.
Mr. Olatunji thanked the NAICOM boss for the warm reception and stated that the NPDC being one of the agencies newly created by the Federal Government, was at NAICOM to create awareness on the data protection law, as well as to seek the cooperation of NAICOM and collaboration to entrench data protection policy among its regulated entities.
The National Commissioner stated that the NDPC is first taking the step to create awareness and build capacity before full enforcement of the law on protection of data privacy in the country.
Recalled that President Bola Tinubu had on June 12,2023, signed the Nigeria Data Protection Bill, 2023 into law as Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023.
The Act establishes the legal framework for the regulation of personal data in Nigeria and replaces the Nigerian Data Protection Regulations (NDPR) 2019 and the NDPR Implementation Framework 2019 issued under the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Act.
The key provision of the Act is the establishment of the NDPC and its governing council. The Commission will superintend the implementation and enforcement of rules and regulations set out in the Act, regulate the processing of personal information and other related matters, while the Council is charged with formulation and provision of overall policy direction of the affairs of the NDPC.
The nation’s commitment to individual privacy and security is evident in Section 37 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), which explicitly guarantees citizens right to privacy. This provides the foundation for Nigeria’s legal framework on data privacy and protection.