The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) is accused of gaining unauthorized access to subscribers’ personal data. The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) says it would look into this.
This was said in a statement released on Sunday in Abuja by the NDPC’s National Commissioner, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, and signed by the organization’s Head of Legal, Enforcement, and Regulations, Mr. Babatunde Bamigboye.
Following public concerns over accusations of unauthorized access to enrollee personal data by a shady organization named XpressVerify.com, the NDPC is taking further regulatory action with this probe, according to Olatunji.
He noted that in order to promote data protection adequacy, the NDPC and the NIMC had been collaborating, leading to a workshop in February.
He claims that this is only one of several steps the federal government is taking to defend and preserve data privacy.
It is noteworthy that NIMC has commenced an internal inquiry and has promptly pledged complete collaboration with NDPC.
The NDPC will investigate the claim to its core and examine the channels that are now available for any organization to legally confirm the identification of participants on its platform.
“In addition, the NDPC will collaborate with pertinent organizations to examine the documentation of purportedly unapproved data processing and monetization,” he declared.
Olatunji promised that those found guilty of breaking the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, would face legal consequences.
The National Commissioner also mandated that the investigation’s preliminary results be released to the public within seven days. (NAN)