The Nigeria Data Protection Commission has revealed that the country is facing a shortage of about 480,000 Data Protection Officers despite progress made in recent years.
The National Commissioner of the commission, Dr Vincent Olatunji, made this known on Monday at the opening of a one week training for the second group of participants in the Data Protection Officers Training and Certification Programme in Abuja.
He explained that while the number of certified professionals has grown significantly, the demand for data protection experts continues to rise rapidly. According to him, the number of certified Data Protection Officers has increased from fewer than 1,000 three years ago to over 10,000, while more than 27,000 individuals are now active within the wider data privacy space.
However, he noted that this growth is still not enough to meet the needs of the country’s expanding digital environment.
“We have identified over 500,000 data controllers and processors who require the services of data protection officers.
“At the moment, we have about 10,000 certified DPOs to work in that space.
“The gap of about 480,000 still exists, which underscores the need for sustained capacity building,” he said.
Olatunji added that the commission is stepping up efforts to close this gap through continuous training and development programmes. He said the aim is to position Nigeria as a leading source of skilled data protection professionals across Africa.
“Our goal is to make Nigeria the go-to country when it comes to sourcing qualified data protection officers in Africa.
“The certification we offer meets global standards, enabling practitioners to operate not just locally but in any part of the world,” Olatunji said.
He also noted that the initiative would help create jobs and support the Federal Government’s plans for growth in the digital economy.
Earlier, Dr Tolu Fadipe, Head of Research and Development, highlighted the importance of protecting data in a fast growing digital space.
“As we move towards a digital economy data becomes central and protecting that data is essential.
“This training is designed to build competence and ensure organisations comply with the Nigeria Data Protection Act,” she said.
Ms Adeola Sopade, Head Trainer and Privacy Cybersecurity Consultant, said the programme would equip participants with both basic knowledge and practical skills.
“We will take them from basic awareness to practical application, including how to handle data access requests and understand legal bases for data collection,” she said.
A participant, Isang Abasiofong, described the training as an important opportunity for young Nigerians to prepare for a technology driven future.
