Telecom
NDPC Rallies Journalists on the Opportunities Inherent in National Data Protection Sector
Dr. Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner, National Data Protection Commission (NDPC), has urged journalists covering ICT sector, under the aegis of Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA) to take advantage of the opportunities inherent in the National Data Protection sector.
Dr. Olatunji made this call during a capacity building workshop organised by the National Data Protection Commission for members of Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA), held on Tuesday in Lagos.
The national commissioner noted that the sector is a job creating sector, he thereby urged members of the media covering the activities of the commission to be conscious of the opportunities inherent for them.
He stated that journalist while creating awareness on the importance of Data protection should also consider a second career as Data Protection Officers (DPO).
He said that the President had said that he would create one million digital jobs but the NDPC alone would create 500,000 jobs in digital space.
According to him, “with the high rate of unemployed youths, this is a new job area. A new sector contributing to the Gross Domestic Products (GDP) in the country.
“In Nigeria we are talking about the data of 200m people in the country and have over 500,000 Data processors and controllers.
“Whereas those certified in data privacy are about 100,000 leaving a gap of over 400,000 which is really dangerous.
“As agents we want to protect their data and their interests and the qualified DPOs are not up to 10,000 we do not have enough skilled manpower that would serve as data protection experts.
“Journalist should think of having a second career in the sector and can work anywhere in the world go for further training, get certified which does not have anything to do with what one studied in the university,” he said.
According to him, “it is a whole new skill that is required so what we are doing today is to introduce you to the subject matter”.
He encouraged that the training should be taken seriously, noting that it has introduced a national certification body to make it easier for those who would like to become Data Processing Officers (DPOs).
He noted further that certifications alone does not confer to competence because the holder needs to learn more on the job.
Olatunji said that the Commission is happy that it is coming at this time and have learnt from the experience of others and also made its own laws very flexible to actually legislate and also catch up with basic technology.
According to him, Job and wealth creation is key to processing, that is what the commission keep saying and very soon portal will be opened for data processors and data controllers in Nigeria.
The National commissioner, said that the target is to build a globally competitive mark in data protection in Nigeria and that it has recognised journalists as a major stakeholder.
Olatunji said the journalists should take good opportunity to join because it is global and the same knowledge is passed in terms of objectives, principles.
He said that although peculiarities in terms of challenges; ecosystem levels of intellectual development, the level of Data protection literacy is being considered.
According to him; the task of the commission is huge and the commission cannot do it alone, this is where we need your cooperation in the area of advocacy we need you to help us create awareness of Data protection.
‘’We want all of us to create awareness, let citizens know that something new is happening in Nigeria and in Africa because we have the population’’.
Mr Chike Onwuegbuchi, Chairman of NITRA while appreciating the commission for the capacity training, assured of continued support from journalists.
Onwuegbuchi said that the training was insightful, timely and encouraged journalists while advocating for the commission, should consider a second career in Data processing.
Association of Telecommunication Companies of Nigeria (ATCON) on Monday commended the Federal Ministry of Communication, Innovation, and Digital Economy (FMCIDE) for spearheading a new initiative known as ‘Project Bridge’.
Tony Emoekpere, president, ATCON, stated in an interview with NAN in Lagos that the initiative aimed to create a robust and resilient telecommunications backbone across Nigeria.
Emoekpere stated that the project was an ambitious public-private partnership designed to connect all 36 states and Abuja, as well as LGAs, via fiber optic cables.
According to him, the initiative is not meant to replace existing infrastructure but to complement it, creating a more resilient network.
“Right now, most of the networks that we have are linear in nature. ’Just imagine, if there’s only one road from Lagos to Ibadan; if anything happens to that road, you would not get to Ibadan.
‘’This project will create alternative routes,” he said.
The ATCON boss stated that the project was modeled after the successful PPP framework in the energy sector, with the government contributing a certain percentage to the Special Purpose Vehicle and the private sector providing the remaining funding.
He stated that the project’s goal was to establish alternative, redundant connections, thereby ensuring that services remained uninterrupted even if one part of the network was compromised.
The president expressed the full support of telcos, noting that the project would enable members to deliver services more effectively in locations where infrastructure was currently a significant challenge.
“With this project, we will have multiple options,” he said.
Project BRIDGE involves building a nationwide fiber optic network to expand digital infrastructure and connectivity, rather than a physical bridge, as part of Nigeria’s National Broadband Plan.
The project is a public-private partnership ($2 billion cost) using an SPV to deploy 90,000km of fiber-optic cable to enhance education, healthcare, and the digital economy.
MTN Nigeria has successfully completed a scheduled network maintenance operation that affected 101 sites across 15 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Adamawa, Borno, and Kano States.
The restoration marks a significant step in the company’s ongoing efforts to enhance service reliability in the Northeast region, amidst multiple fibre cuts and vandalism.
The maintenance, which took place on Sunday, August 24, involved the cutover of traffic to a newly installed fiber span along the AFCOT–Bawo Village route in Adamawa State.
This upgrade was necessary to replace a previously damaged section of the network infrastructure. All service maintenance was done within timeframe and restorations before 1 PM on Sunday August 24th.
We can confirm that all impacted sites have been fully restored, and services are now operating normally. We appreciate our subscribers’ patience and sincerely apologize for any inconvenience caused during the downtime.
The affected services included 2G, 3G, 4G, and enterprise connectivity, with temporary disruptions experienced in LGAs such as Girei, Song, Mubi North, Hong, and Michika in Adamawa; Askira/Uba and Shani in Borno; and Nasarawa in Kano.
The work was scheduled during daylight hours to ensure the safety of field engineers, given the linear and unprotected nature of the route.
This restoration is part of MTN’s broader strategy to strengthen its infrastructure in underserved regions and ensure consistent service delivery across Nigeria, amidst constant fibre cuts and vandalism.
TikTok has launched its music insights platform, TikTok for Artists, in Nigeria to support artist growth and fan engagement across the country’s vibrant music industry.
The platform, which debuted globally earlier this year, provides artists, labels, and management teams with access to daily-updated dashboards and analytics tools to track music performance, audience demographics, and fan interactions.
Toyin Mustapha, Head of Music Partnerships for the UK, Ireland, and Sub-Saharan Africa at TikTok, said the initiative was part of the company’s commitment to empowering African creators.
“With the launch of TikTok for Artists in Nigeria, we’re giving artists and their teams access to insights that can help them engage their fans in more meaningful ways and grow their careers globally,” Mustapha said.
The platform offers detailed song performance metrics, including views, posts, and creator engagements per track. It also provides granular post-level data such as likes, comments, shares, and completion rates, alongside demographic breakdowns by gender, age, and language.
In addition to analytics, TikTok for Artists includes educational resources and step-by-step guides to help artists build sustainable careers.
A key feature of the platform is the Pre-Release tool, which allows artists to launch campaigns for upcoming albums and enables fans to pre-save tracks on streaming platforms like Spotify and Apple Music.
British artist Jordan Adetunji described the platform as a “game changer,” noting its value in helping artists and their teams plan effective campaigns.
TikTok said the rollout reaffirms its investment in Africa’s creative economy and aims to foster deeper connections between artists and fans across the continent.
The platform is now available to all certified TikTok Artist Accounts, with access also extendable to managers and label teams.
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