Evaluating the Impact of the Nigeria Data Protection Act on Consumer Privacy in the Telecommunications Industry in Nigeria

Abstract

The issues of cyber fraud and cyber-attacks have continued to attract concerns. This apprehension informed the need for this study to evaluate the impact of the Nigeria Data Protection Act on Consumer Privacy in the Telecommunications Industry. As the volume of data created and stored increased, so did the need for data protection. The breach of data and cyberattacks has led to a significant damage, this is the reason why establishments proactively safeguard their data as well as frequently update their proactive measures. This research was aimed at evaluating the impact of the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) on consumer privacy in the Nigeria Telecommunications industry with reference to other jurisdictions. The doctrinal method was employed in gathering the data protection laws in the EU, Kenya and South Africa. It was observed that the compliance burden on network service provider, weak enforcement mechanisms, inadequate consumer redress mechanism, are some of the challenges of the NDPA. Policy and regulatory reforms, industry specific measures are some of the recommendations made. The need for data protection cannot be overstated and the application of the recommendations made in this paper would bring about a more efficient and impactful data protection law.