Mirian Gom 
ABUJA, Nigeria – The Federal Government has directed all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to fully comply with Nigeria’s data protection laws, warning that permanent secretaries, chief executives and accounting officers will be held personally responsible for any failure to protect citizens’ personal information.
The directive is contained in Circular No. 59805/S.I/74, dated July 27, 2026, and signed by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, as part of efforts to strengthen data-driven governance and build public trust.
According to a statement issued by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), the circular requires every MDA to comply fully with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDP Act), 2023, as well as all regulations, guidelines and directives issued by the Commission.
The circular referenced President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s position that “Data is the new oil,” stressing that public institutions must collect, process and safeguard personal data responsibly.
To strengthen compliance, MDAs have been directed to appoint qualified Data Protection Officers (DPOs) responsible for overseeing lawful processing of personal information and ensuring institutional compliance.
Government institutions must also register their designated DPOs with the NDPC, engage licensed Data Protection Compliance Organisations (DPCOs) where necessary, conduct mandatory compliance audits and allocate adequate funding for data protection activities.
Other requirements include regular staff training, awareness programmes, deployment of appropriate cybersecurity safeguards and timely submission of statutory compliance returns to the NDPC.
The circular further stated that Permanent Secretaries, Accounting Officers and Chief Executive Officers of MDAs would be personally accountable for ensuring their institutions comply with the provisions of the Data Protection Act.
Reacting to the directive, the National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the NDPC, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, praised the Tinubu administration for demonstrating strong political commitment to protecting citizens’ privacy rights.
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