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WhatsApp Privacy Policy Changes: NITDA Issues Advisory on Implication for Nigerian User

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The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has provided advisory to Nigerians to address their concerns on changes to Whatsapp Terms of Service and Privacy Policy which took effect on 15th May, 2021.

The new logo

In a statement on Monday, Mrs. Hadiza Umar, head, Corporate Affairs and External Relations, NITDA, said that the advisory was to educate Millions of Nigerians who use Whatsapp platform for business, social, educational, and other purposes.
She noted that the platform is the social media platform of choice for many Nigerians.
According to the statement, “To understand the issues and give an opportunity to explain its views, NITDA in collaboration with the African Network of Data Protection Authorities engaged Facebook Incorporated, the owners of Whatsapp platform, specifically, its global Policy officials on 9th April, 2021.
“After the engagement, NITDA, as Nigeria’s data privacy regulator, wishes to advise Nigerians on how Facebook’s business decision affects their privacy rights”.
What Has Changed?
Facebook acquired Whatsapp in February 2014. Facebook currently has over 2.5 billion users globally, while Whatsapp has over 2 billion users. Whatsapp shared a reviewed Privacy Policy on 4th January 2021, informing its users outside the European Union that it would now share their information with Facebook and its sister companies.
Datasets collected by Whatsapp
Whatsapp collects the following information on users:
•account information;
•messages (including undelivered messages, media forwarding);
•connections;
•status information;
•transactions and payments data;
•usage and log information;
•device and connection information;
•location information;
•cookies etc.
Other information collected by Whatsapp include:
•battery level;
•signal strength;
•app version;
•browser information;
•mobile network;
•connection information (including phone number, mobile operator or ISP), language and time zone;
•Internet Protocol address;
•device operations information;
•social media identifiers.
The new policy best renders the platform’s information sharing practices with Facebook and its companies-
“As part of the Facebook Companies, WhatsApp receives information from, and shares information with, the other Facebook Companies. We may use the information we receive from them, and they may use the information we share with them, to help operate, provide, improve, understand, customize, support, and market our Services and their offerings, including the Facebook Company Products…”
Whatsapp shares the above listed information and the following with the Facebook company:
•account registration information;
•details on how users interact with others;
•mobile device information;
•Internet Protocol address;
•Location data etc.
The Facebook Team confirmed that private messages shared on WhatsApp consumer version are encrypted and not seen by the company. But the metadata (data about the usage of the service) which is also personal information is shared with other members of the Facebook Group.
Whatsapp users are at liberty to decide on giving consent to the processing of their data based on the new privacy policy.
The Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) recognizes consent (a clear, unambiguous expression of privacy terms communicated by the controller and accepted by the Data Subject) as one of the lawful basis for data processing. Acceptance of the new privacy policy and terms of use implies that user data would now be shared with Facebook and other third parties. Users will now be subject to the terms and policies of Facebook and other receiving entities with or without being direct subscribers to such services.
Advise
As a result of the foregoing, NITDA advises as follows:
•Nigerians may wish to note that there are other available platforms with similar functionalities which they may wish to explore. Choice of platform should consider data sharing practices, privacy, ease of use among others; and
•Limit the sharing of sensitive personal information on private messaging and social media platforms as the initial promise of privacy and security is now being overridden on the bases of business exigency.
Nigeria’s engagement with Facebook continues. We have given them our opinion on areas to improve compliance with the NDPR. We have also raised concerns as to the marked difference between the privacy standard applicable in Europe, under the GDPR and the rest of the world.
Given the foregoing and other emerging issues around international technology companies, NITDA, with stakeholders, is exploring all options to ensure Nigerians do not become victims of digital colonialism.
Our national security, dignity and individual privacy are cherished considerations we must not lose.
Because of this, we shall work with the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy to organize a hackathon for Nigerians to pitch solutions that can provide services that will provide functional alternatives to existing global social platforms.

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Ugo Onwuaso is an ICT enthusiast. He believes technology should be used for general good. He holds a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree from the Lagos state University. Dear Reader, Your support matters. But we believe that technology makes life more exciting and helps improve the lives of people around Nigeria and indeed the world. That is why, we have devoted our energy to independent reportage of technology and finance and how they affect lives. Our incisive and analytical view of how technology news affects the daily life help individuals and organizations make up their minds. Quality journalism costs money. Today, we're asking that you support us to do more. Kindly support our effort to deliver technology and finance journalism to everyone in the world. Donate as little as N1,000. Bank transfers can be made to: UBA Plc 1017156876 Communication Week Media Ltd

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MTN Nigeria Drags 20 Banks  to Court over N6Bn Debt by SleekChip

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Karl Toriola, chief executive officer, MTN Nigeria
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MTN Nigeria has taken legal action against more than 20 banks as it intensifies efforts to recover nearly ₦6 billion in interconnect debt from SleekChip Technologies Limited, a licensed international direct access and transit service provider.

MTN Nigeria Drags 20 Banks  to Court over N6Bn Debt by SleekChip

Karl Toriola, chief executive officer, MTN Nigeria

This move comes on the back of a court judgment awarding the telecom giant the right to reclaim funds owed through garnishee proceedings.

The Federal High Court in Abuja, presided over by Justice Peter Lifu, ruled in November 2024 that SleekChip must pay MTN $1.97 million—or its naira equivalent at the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate at the time.

The court also granted interest on the debt at a rate 2% above the Nigerian Interbank Offer Rate, backdated to January 31, 2022, until full repayment is made.

At the heart of the dispute lies a 2019 interconnection agreement between MTN and SleekChip, which permitted the exchange of calls and messages between their networks.

MTN alleged that from January to October 2022, SleekChip accumulated significant unpaid charges.

Despite repeated demand notices and a formal acknowledgment of debt by SleekChip in May 2023, no repayment was made.

With the judgment in hand, MTN has proceeded to enforce it by seeking court orders to freeze and seize SleekChip’s funds held across Nigerian banks.

The telecom operator pegged the naira value of the judgment debt at over ₦3.28 billion based on the exchange rate of ₦1,665.84 to the dollar as of November 7, 2024, with interest claims pushing the amount beyond ₦5 billion.

Court records show that on May 16, 2025, representatives from MTN and several banks appeared before Justice Lifu.

MTN submitted that most banks had filed affidavits disclosing the status of any accounts held by SleekChip.

The court subsequently discharged over 10 banks that confirmed they had no financial ties to the debtor.

Some banks raised objections to MTN’s request to extend searches using the debtor’s BVN, arguing that the court had issued no such order. The court has scheduled the next hearing for June 26, 2025, to continue the garnishee proceedings.

This case adds to a growing list of MTN’s debt recovery efforts across Nigeria’s telecom sector. In 2023, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) approved MTN’s request to disconnect several service providers over similar unpaid interconnect charges—including SleekChip and Exchange Telecommunications.

The ongoing legal enforcement signals MTN’s strategic shift toward reclaiming debts through court-backed recovery rather than relying solely on regulatory pressure.

With mounting operational costs and network expansion demands, telecom operators are becoming less tolerant of defaults, especially in interconnect fee obligations.

 

 


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Africa Launches First Continental Space Agency

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Africa has launched its first continental space agency to enhance Earth observation and data sharing at a time when a more challenging global environment is restricting access to climate and weather information.

Africa Launches First Continental Space Agency

The African Space Agency was inaugurated last month under the African Union’s umbrella and is based in Cairo.

Currently in the process of establishment and recruiting key personnel, the agency will oversee coordination of existing national space programs.

Its goal is to strengthen the continent’s space infrastructure by deploying satellites, installing weather stations, and ensuring data sharing across Africa and beyond.

“Space activities across the continent have been very fragmented,” explained Meshack Kinyua, a space engineer and experienced African space policy expert who now leads capacity-building at the agency.

“The African Space Agency introduces a coordination framework and economies of scale — it places all African Union members on an equal footing regarding access to gathered data based on their needs.”

Africa is the poorest continent globally, and its people are among the most vulnerable to extreme weather events worsened by climate change, despite contributing far less to global warming than those in developed nations.

The absence of high-resolution weather and climate data hinders governments from warning citizens about approaching extreme weather, and scientists cannot accurately forecast long-term trends because their models lack detailed data.

The African Space Agency represents a move toward changing this, Kinyua said.

The agency also seeks to expand some successful projects across the continent, such as early warning systems for fishermen in West Africa and the Congo River Basin, he added.

Though long planned, the agency’s launch comes shortly after the Trump administration dismantled the US Agency for International Development (USAID), which had been a major funder of various programs in Africa.

When 80% of USAID’s projects were canceled, initiatives like SERVIR—a joint effort by USAID, NASA, and space organizations in developing countries to address climate change, food security, and natural disasters—were among those affected.

“We need to ensure that African satellites can improve measurements and fill data gaps,” Kinyua stated.

“These gaps will always exist, so we must fill some ourselves and collaborate with other agencies.”

The African agency has already partnered with the European Space Agency to train experts and exchange knowledge, including in data processing and satellite construction.

In Europe, national space agencies share the costs of launching new Earth observation satellites, which can reach up to €800 million ($897 million), said Benjamin Koetz, head of the long-term action section at the European Space Agency. Countries also share the data gathered by these satellites.

“Not every country needs to invest in and build the same satellite,” Koetz explained.

Cairo launched Africa’s first satellite in 1998, and since then, over 20 African nations have established their own space agencies.

Eighteen of these countries have launched a combined total of 63 satellites.

The African Union plans to fund the African Space Agency on a project-by-project basis.

“Securing financial resources is a challenge because there is so much to accomplish, and our resources are limited,” Kinyua explained.

“However, we must take small steps before we can start running.”

Africa’s early space leaders — including Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa — took a considerable amount of time to establish their agencies and become operational because they had to begin from the ground up, noted Danielle Wood, an associate professor and director of the Space Enabled Research Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“It shouldn’t take that long anymore since many African countries now have space experience, and ideally, new countries can learn from existing examples and collaborate to move faster,” she added. “While other players like the US and Europe will pursue their own interests, the African Space Agency will remain focused on Africa, so it should support every country on the continent.”

 

 

 


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Minister Decries High Rate of Nigerian Women Access Gap to Smartphones

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Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, has revealed that at least 68% of Nigerian women lack access to smartphones, a barrier that limits their participation in the digital economy and access to essential online services.

Tijani revealed this during a press briefing in Abuja to mark the 2025 World Telecommunication and Information Society Day (WTISD), observed every year on May 17th.

Represented by Adeyemo Olugbenga, Director of the National Frequency Management Council Secretariat, Tijani emphasised that as Nigeria fast-tracks its digital transformation, it remains committed to inclusivity, ensuring that no one, particularly women and girls, is left behind.

The Minister reaffirmed the government’s commitment to equipping 70% of Nigerian women and girls with advanced digital skills by 2027.

He also revealed that the government is collaborating with the African Development Bank (AfDB), the World Bank, and private investors to offer grants and low-interest loans to women-led tech startups, supporting inclusive growth in the digital sector.

Represented by Adeyemo Olugbenga, Director of the National Frequency Management Council Secretariat, Tijani emphasised that the digital revolution can only be truly transformative if it is inclusive.

He stressed the importance of building a future where gender equality is not just an aspiration but a lived reality.

While acknowledging Nigeria’s progress in achieving 46.2% broadband penetration, he noted that the digital economy goes beyond infrastructure and innovation; it is ultimately about people.

He warned that when half the population continues to face barriers to access, skills, and leadership in technology, the nation is not only failing its women but also undermining its overall potential.

The Minister emphasized that achieving gender equality in the digital age cannot rest solely on the shoulders of government.

He urged the private sector to play a pivotal role by adopting gender-responsive hiring practices, investing in women-led tech hubs, and implementing workplace policies that empower women.

Highlighting the government’s commitment to inclusive digital growth, he noted that the ministry has launched several key programmes and initiatives aimed at fostering broad-based participation in the digital economy.

Among these is the National Gender Digital Inclusion Strategy (NGDIS) 2004–2077, designed to create safe online spaces for women and support their advancement in technology-driven sectors.

In terms of skills development, the minister pointed to the expansion of impactful programmes such as the 3 Million Technical Talents (MTT) initiative, the Nigeria Artificial Intelligence Research Scheme, Digital Nigeria, and efforts to strengthen local content and capacity.

Recognising the growing need for online safety, he added that the ministry is actively enhancing cybersecurity and anti-harassment frameworks to better protect women in digital spaces.

He also stressed the importance of challenging gender stereotypes by encouraging young girls to pursue Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education from an early age.

Tijanii called on civil society organisations and the media to amplify the achievements of women in tech and hold decision-makers accountable for inclusive policy implementation.

Speaking on the theme of this year’s World Telecommunication and Information Society Day, “Gender Equality in Digital Transformation,” the minister described it as both timely and essential.

He warned that when women and girls are excluded from accessing technology, acquiring digital skills, or leading in tech sectors, it is not just their potential that is stifled—but the world’s.

The minister reaffirmed the significance of WTISD, which serves as a platform to raise global awareness about the transformative power of ICTs.

He noted that digital innovation, such as leveraging artificial intelligence to combat climate change and eradicate poverty, holds immense promise in addressing some of the world’s most urgent challenges.


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