The Nigeria Data Protection Commission has expressed its commitment to resolving the recent data breach issue involving Meta Platforms Inc. through dialogue and collaboration.
This came as an advocacy group, Techsocietal, told The PUNCH on Monday that a potential withdrawal of Meta’s Facebook and Instagram platforms from Nigeria, prompted by $290m in fines and stringent regulatory demands, could jeopardise digital access for millions, particularly vulnerable communities.
Speaking with journalists during a one-day intensive workshop for Data Protection Officers in Abuja on Monday, the Chief Executive Officer and National Commissioner of the NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, said the commission’s approach was to engage organisations and seek amicable solutions rather than escalate matters unnecessarily.
“Our new approach is partnership. We are working with them to see if we can resolve the issue,” Olatunji said. “We don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater. What we do today is to look at the issues — what do we need to resolve, and are they willing to do what is right? We have to look at political ways of solving it.”
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has threatened to withdraw its services from Nigeria, a move the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission dismissed as a tactic to evade accountability, noting that Meta has faced similar penalties in other countries without exiting those markets.
With concerns that Meta could leave the Nigerian market following regulatory sanctions, Olatunji sought to calm public anxiety, expressing confidence that the matter would be resolved.
“Even when you go to work, you see that there’s a right way to resolve issues. So, I’m sure we’re going to resolve it,” he added.
Meanwhile, the commission signed a Memorandum of Understanding with global payments company Mastercard to strengthen data protection capacity in Nigeria.
The agreement was formalised during the workshop, where about 150 Data Protection Officers received training on Data Protection Impact Assessment, in line with Section 28 of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, which mandates a risk-based approach to protecting personal data.
Olatunji said the partnership with Mastercard formed part of NDPC’s human capital development strategy, describing human capital as key to the commission’s regulatory mandate.
He said Nigeria’s data protection ecosystem remained new and emerging, making the urgent training of officers necessary to meet the growing demands of the digital economy.
He further disclosed that the commission had set a target of training 250,000 certified Data Protection Officers annually, adding that collaboration with stakeholders like Mastercard would help achieve that goal.
Deputy Chief Privacy Officer, AI and Data Responsibility at Mastercard, Mr Derek Ho, also speaking at the event, said collaboration and sharing ideas would strengthen trust in the digital economy era.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of Techsocietal, an advocacy group, Temitope Ogundipe, has criticised both Meta and Nigerian regulators, saying the dispute threatens small businesses, activists, and vulnerable communities reliant on the platforms.
“Entrepreneurs, community organisers, families, and at-risk groups rely on these platforms as vital lifelines,” the group said in a note. “Digital access is not a luxury but a right tied to livelihoods and voice.”
Techsocietal called for a people-first regulatory model that balances accountability with inclusion, urging greater transparency from both Meta and regulators.
“Nigeria must shape platform governance on its own terms, but not at the cost of cutting millions off from digital spaces,” the group stated.
It also questioned Meta’s commitment to African markets, suggesting the company views Nigeria as expendable amid economic challenges and lower ad revenues.
Techsocietal advocates for collaboration to ensure “rights, revenues, and responsibilities are shared” without harming the most vulnerable.
