The Chairman of the National Population Commission (NPC), Dr. Aminu Yusuf, today, 9th June 2026, received the National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Dr. Vincent Olatunji, and his team at the NPC headquarters in Abuja, as both agencies pledged closer collaboration on data privacy and protection.
In his remarks, Dr. Yusuf commended the NDPC for its role in promoting data privacy, security and responsible data governance within Nigeria’s rapidly evolving digital ecosystem. He noted that the NPC, which is constitutionally mandated to conduct population and housing censuses, maintain the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics system, carry out demographic surveys and research, and provide population data for national planning, handles vast volumes of personal and geospatial data.
According to him, safeguarding citizens’ information remains central to the Commission’s operations, particularly as it modernises its systems and prepares for future census activities. He stressed the need for compliance with data protection regulations and international best practices, adding that enhanced cooperation with the NDPC would strengthen public trust in government data systems.
Dr. Yusuf identified areas of potential collaboration to include data privacy compliance, capacity building, secure data management, governance frameworks and public awareness initiatives.
Speaking earlier, Dr. Olatunji described the work of the NPC as strategic to Nigeria’s development, noting that accurate census data is critical for effective planning. He said the country must move beyond reliance on estimated population figures despite the challenges associated with census exercises.
He commended the level of digitalisation at the NPC but warned that increased digitisation also heightens risks of identity theft and unauthorised access to citizens’ data. He emphasised that organisations collecting and processing personal data have a duty of care to implement appropriate technical and organisational safeguards to ensure data accuracy, integrity and availability.
Dr. Olatunji said privacy protection is now a global issue and underscored the importance of embedding strong data protection principles within institutional processes. He offered the NDPC’s support through induction workshops, virtual training programmes and the training and certification of Data Protection Officers (DPOs) at the headquarters, state and local government levels.
He also highlighted the role of licensed Data Protection Compliance Organisations in helping institutions develop clear privacy policies outlining the type of data collected, processing methods, sharing protocols and retention policies.
In his contribution, the NPC Federal Commissioner representing Adamawa State and Chairman of the ICT Committee described data protection as a vital tool for national development and welcomed the NDPC’s offer to organise capacity-building programmes for staff.
The meeting was attended by the NPC Federal Commissioner representing Edo State, Dr. Tony Aiyejina, the Acting Director-General, Mr. Manasseh Aboho, members of the Commission’s management and technical aides to the Chairman.
Stanley Onyekachukwu Nwosu, mnipr
SA Media to the Honourable Chairman of National Population Commission
