A Survey of the Nigerian Personal Data and Privacy Protection Laws

Abstract

Global indices show that Nigeria has grown tremendously over the years in technology adoption which thrives on collection, processing, storage and transmission of huge amounts of citizens’ data. However, the absence of robust legal and institutional frameworks in the country that address the crises and disputes arising from electronic data processing is exacerbating concerns of trust and confidence among technology users in Nigeria. This is so even in the presence of fragments of data protection legislations. Consequently, this chapter analysed the existing fragments of data protection and privacy laws and regulations in Nigeria, causes and consequences of data breaches, challenges of developing data protection legislations in developing countries, identified gaps in the existing laws and proffer recommendations for a principal data privacy and protection legislation and establishment of a data protection authority that will drive the implementation of the principal data protection laws.