President Bola Tinubu has approved the allocation of a property recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) as its new headquarters.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, disclosed this on Monday during the commissioning of the facility in Abuja.
Tijani said the property was allocated to the NDPC following concerns that the commission’s growing responsibilities and increasing international profile were not matched by a befitting permanent office.
According to the minister, the President directed that the recovered property be put to productive use by allocating it to the data protection agency.
“The President directed that a property of this size that was recovered from the work of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission be allocated to NDPC,” Tijani said.
He described the conversion of the recovered property into a government facility as an example of how recovered assets could be returned to productive use for the benefit of Nigerians.
The minister also disclosed that the NDPC faced significant funding challenges during its early years, including difficulties meeting salary obligations. He said President Tinubu intervened with direct financial support until the commission became capable of generating sufficient revenue to sustain its operations.
Tijani noted that Tinubu signed the Nigeria Data Protection Act shortly after assuming office in 2023, giving the commission a stronger legal mandate to protect the privacy and personal data of Nigerians.
He added that the President subsequently directed ministries, departments and agencies to comply with Nigeria’s data protection laws and regulatory frameworks.
As Nigeria’s digital economy continues to expand, Tijani called for stronger data protection measures, particularly amid the growing adoption of artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.
He said safeguarding citizens’ data would remain critical to building trust and ensuring sustainable growth in Nigeria’s digital economy.
