NASS to review data law amid AI, cybercrime risks

By Christiana Ekpa

The National Assembly has commenced plans to review Nigeria’s Data Protection Act 2023 as part of efforts to tackle rising cyber threats, artificial intelligence risks and emerging digital challenges.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security, Afolabi Salisu, disclosed this on Tuesday at the opening of a three-day Data Protection Awareness workshop for the Joint National Assembly Committee on ICT in Abuja.
The workshop was organised by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission in collaboration with Ampersand Development Partners.
Salisu said the review became necessary following rapid technological developments, especially the rise of AI and the adoption of the United Nations Convention on Cybercrime.
According to him, there is a strong connection between data governance and cybercrime, making it imperative for lawmakers to strengthen existing legal frameworks to safeguard Nigeria’s cyberspace and digital assets.
“We need to ensure the security of our country, particularly in cyberspace, data governance and emerging technologies like AI,” he said.
The senator stressed that lawmakers must fully understand data privacy and protection issues to effectively legislate in the sector.
You cannot legislate effectively in an area where you lack sufficient knowledge. This workshop is an opportunity for us to deepen our understanding of modern data protection principles and position ourselves to review the National Data Protection Act.
“Three years after the law was enacted, we must assess how well it has addressed the nation’s needs, especially with the emergence of new technologies and in comparison with global standards,” he added.
Salisu said the National Assembly would, at the end of the workshop, develop a roadmap and timeline for the amendment of the Act.
He also urged Nigerians to take personal responsibility for protecting their private data, warning that many supposedly free public WiFi services and mobile applications often harvest users’ personal information in exchange for access.
Also speaking, Chairman of the House Committee on ICT and Cyber Security, Stanley Olajide, described data as Nigeria’s “next oil,” saying the country’s future prosperity would depend heavily on how well it protects digital information.
Olajide noted that strong data protection laws were critical to attracting foreign investment and safeguarding Nigeria’s digital sovereignty.
“Data is our sovereign wealth. We must put the right legal frameworks in place so that any organisation, corporation or country that breaches Nigeria’s data laws can be held accountable,” he said.
He added that any data generated and stored within Nigeria must remain protected under Nigerian laws and regulatory systems.