The Federal Government has clarified that its ongoing investigation into the operations of tech giant, Meta Platforms Inc., is not aimed at witch-hunting the company but at ensuring compliance with Nigerian laws.
The National Commissioner of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), Dr. Vincent Olatunji, stated this on Friday in Abuja at the Training for DevsInGovernment programme with the theme: “Innovating with Privacy: Building Trust in Government Digital Services.”
Meta, the U.S.-based parent company of Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and Threads, has come under scrutiny in Nigeria. The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) recently slammed the company with a $220 million fine for alleged data breaches.
“We are not necessarily being punitive. However, any institution that fails to cooperate or comply with our laws will be sanctioned,” Olatunji said.
The NDPC boss stressed that the investigation into Meta required a multi-agency approach to ensure a comprehensive probe and appropriate resolution of issues.
“We are concerned about the ways and manners in which data of citizens are collected and managed in Nigeria and outside Nigeria. In so doing, we also consider the economic values for the citizens and the country and we want the global best standards and practices to be entrenched here,” he added.
Olatunji emphasized that the government was determined to sanitise data management in the country given its sensitivity in governance and business operations.
“The future of government is digital, but the success of digital governance will depend on one thing above all. Trust and privacy is the foundation of that trust. Deploying trusted digital services is not a task for government alone; it requires all of us across public and private sectors, civil societies and citizens working together. Together we can build a citizen-centric, innovative digital nation that others will look to as a model of trust and progress,” he said.
The training programme, according to him, is designed to equip Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) with the knowledge and skills needed to deliver digital services while safeguarding citizens’ privacy.
