By 
The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has emphasized the urgent need for the training and deployment of over 500,000 data protection officers in Nigeria. Dr. Vincent Olatunji, the National Commissioner of NDPC, made this disclosure on Monday in Abuja.
This announcement follows the directive from the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) to Heads of Polytechnics and Mono-technics on January 8. The directive called for the unbundling of the HND Computer Science course into four specialized areas, namely Artificial Intelligence, Networking and Cloud Computing, Software and Web Development, and Cybersecurity and Data Protection.
Dr. Olatunji expressed his appreciation for this development, highlighting that it aligns with NDPC’s objectives and identifies crucial areas for focus. He emphasized the existing manpower deficit in these specialized fields, particularly data protection, where the country urgently requires a minimum of 500,000 certified Data Protection Officers. Currently, the number of certified professionals in this domain is less than 10,000, highlighting a significant skills gap.
To address this shortage, the NDPC is actively working to establish a collaborative body where trainers can come together to identify specific institutions, including universities and polytechnics, for training data protection officers. Dr. Olatunji acknowledged that the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy’s strategic pillars, which include innovation, entrepreneurship, and capital, place a major emphasis on AI development.
He stressed the importance of aligning existing curriculums with global best practices to ensure competitiveness on the global stage. The NDPC is enthusiastic about collaborating with NBTE to bring about positive results in enhancing the skills and capabilities of data protection officers, contributing to the country’s digital growth.
Comments