In a move that demonstrates Nigeria as a technology powerhouse, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) was among the cutting edge data privacy regulators, policymakers and privacy industry partners who gathered in Singapore, to highlight latest local and global privacy and protection development, and consider how best to address them. The three-day event from May 26 to 28, 2025, was dedicated to examining ways countries can collaborate to keep people’s data safe when they cross international borders.
Organised by the Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), the Global Cross Border Privacy Rules (CBPR) Workshop was more than just another conference — it was an exclusive event where real decisions on global data protection policies were being made.
Nigeria was represented by Ibukunoluwa Owa and Fatima Sanni of the NDPC. Ms. Owa, one of the leading legal brains in the Commission, was on a star-studded panel of speakers that included members from Brazil, Thailand, Qatar and India. Her panel, “From Law to Practice: Mapping Data Protection Regimes with Global CBPR,” pointed to the emergence of Nigeria’s recent efforts to align its data protection law with international standards.
“We didn’t just pass a law; we tested it,” Owa said, referring to the careful review Nigeria carried out with the Centre for Information Policy Leadership (CIPL). This review compared the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) with the CBPR framework — a global system that helps countries trust each other’s data protection rules.
That mapping exercise, Owa explained, was part of Nigeria’s journey to becoming an associate member of the Global CBPR Forum. “We wanted to make sure our law could not only stand on paper, but also stand up to international scrutiny,” she said.
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The CBPR Workshop featured presentations, fireside chats, tabletop discussions, and a final closed-door session between global regulators and the Forum’s Board. It wasn’t just talk — it was a place where global partnerships were formed and future strategies shaped.
The NDPC’s presence at the Singapore meeting shows that Nigeria wants to be part of shaping the rules that will govern global data flows.
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