Nigerian government warns teenagers not to share personal information online

The Nigerian Data Protection Commission’s (NDPC) Head of Enforcement and Regulation, Babatunde Bamigboye, has warned teenagers against sharing personal information online while closing a Teen Ambassador Foundation (TAF) summer program in Abuja. 

Bamigboye, stated that he hopes the country would have renowned innovators among the children who participated in the summer program. The summer program aimed to train teenagers and young adults in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics education using robotics.

Bamigboye, also warned Nigerians to be cautious about putting all their data on the internet to prevent people from using such details against them. He stressed that it was important for the protection of information to be included in the school curriculum.

Why does it matter?

In June this year, President Bola Tinubu signed the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, the country’s first data protection law. The Nigerian Data Protection Commission has been set up as mandated by the law. The Act expands the protections afforded to children and persons lacking legal capacity. It includes provisions relating to specific consent requirements for children and requires controllers and processors to implement consent verification mechanisms. The Commission will develop guidelines for processing the personal data of children above 13 in their use of online products and services. More concrete measures are yet to be seen.