{"id":127022,"date":"2026-05-12T17:27:24","date_gmt":"2026-05-12T16:27:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/?p=127022"},"modified":"2026-05-12T17:27:24","modified_gmt":"2026-05-12T16:27:24","slug":"national-assembly-to-strengthen-data-protection-act-amid-rising-cyber-threats","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pointblanknews.com\/pbn\/news\/national-assembly-to-strengthen-data-protection-act-amid-rising-cyber-threats\/","title":{"rendered":"National Assembly\u00a0 to Strengthen Data Protection Act Amid Rising Cyber Threats"},"content":{"rendered":"<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">By Tracy Moses<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The National Assembly has begun moves to review the National Data Protection Act (2023) in response to emerging cyber threats driven by rapid technological advancements such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and evolving global cybercrime frameworks.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The Chairman, Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security, Sen. Afolabi Salisu (APC\u2013Ogun), disclosed this in Abuja on Tuesday during the opening of a three-day Data Protection Awareness Workshop organised for the Joint National Assembly Committee on ICT.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The workshop was facilitated by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) in collaboration with Ampersand Development Partners.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">According to Salisu, the review of the Act has become necessary due to new global developments, including advancements in AI systems and international cybersecurity frameworks such as the United Nations Convention on Cybercrime.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He explained that data governance and cybercrime are closely linked, stressing the need to strengthen existing legal frameworks to ensure Nigeria remains secure in the digital space.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cThere is a nexus between data governance and cybercrime, hence the need to review the Act and strengthen it where necessary to protect our national interest,\u201d he said.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The senator added that lawmakers must be well-informed to effectively legislate in the rapidly evolving digital environment.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cAs legislators, we need to understand data privacy and protection. You cannot legislate in an area you are not sufficiently knowledgeable about,\u201d he said.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Salisu noted that the workshop would enhance lawmakers\u2019 capacity to assess how far the Act has addressed national needs since its enactment in 2023, especially in comparison with global best practices.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said the outcome of the engagement would help develop a roadmap and timeline for the review of the law.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">The senator also warned Nigerians about the risks associated with digital platforms, noting that many free services, including public WiFi and mobile applications, often collect users\u2019 data in exchange for access.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">Also speaking, the Chairman of the House Committee on ICT and Cyber Security, Rep. Stanley Olajide (APC\u2013Oyo), described data as a critical national asset and a driver of future economic growth.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He said Nigeria\u2019s prosperity in the coming years would be driven more by data than oil.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cData is gold. Nigeria\u2019s next prosperity will not be oil but data,\u201d Olajide said.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He stressed the importance of strong legal frameworks to protect Nigeria\u2019s digital assets and ensure accountability in cases of data breaches.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">He added that countries like the United States already operate strict data governance systems that protect their national interests in digital transactions and cloud storage.<\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\"><\/div>\n<div style=\"text-align: justify;\">\u201cAnything that resides in Nigeria and is generated here must be protected by our laws. That is why we must strengthen our legal frameworks,\u201d he said.<\/div>\n<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on the_content --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on the_content -->","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Tracy Moses The National Assembly has begun moves to review the National Data Protection Act (2023) in response to emerging cyber threats driven by rapid technological advancements such as&hellip;<!-- AddThis Advanced Settings generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Share Buttons generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><!-- AddThis Related Posts generic via filter on wp_trim_excerpt --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":77418,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-127022","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.8 - 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