NASS Pushes Review of Data Protection Act to Counter AI, Cyber Threats

By Ifeyinwa Ike

The National Assembly is set to review the 2023 National Data Protection Act to tackle emerging cyber threats from technological advances like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the UN Convention on Cyber Crimes.

Sen. Afolabi Salisu, Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security, announced this at the opening of a three-day Data Protection Awareness Promotion workshop, in Abuja.

The event organised by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) and Ampersand Development Partners,
targets the Joint National Assembly Committee on ICT

Sen. Salisu highlighted the link between data governance and cyber crimes, stressing the need to fortify the Act’s weak spots.

He emphasized securing Nigeria’s cyberspace, data governance, and AI advancements.

“As legislators, we need knowledge on data privacy and protection to legislate effectively. You cannot legislate in an area without sufficient knowledge,” he said. “This workshop builds our capacity on modern data protection principles, positioning us to review the Act.”

He questioned the Act’s three-year performance amid new tech and global benchmarks, aiming for a roadmap and timeline post-workshop.

Sen. Salisu urged all Nigerians to protect personal data, noting many “free” public WiFi and apps trade user data for ads without consent.

Chairman of the House Committee on ICT and Cyber Security, Hon. Stanley Olajide called data “gold” and Nigeria’s path to prosperity beyond oil.

“No investor will bring capital without strong data protection laws, which we have,” Rep. Olajide said. “Our data is sovereign wealth. We must enforce frameworks to hold entities, corporations, or countries accountable for breaches.”

He compared U.S. cloud data ownership laws, insisting Nigerian-generated data must stay protected domestically:

He said, “Anything residing or generated here must be hosted and safeguarded by our country through robust laws.”