The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has received a delegation of Finnish cybersecurity experts as part of ongoing efforts to enhance Nigeria’s digital resilience and strengthen international collaboration in data governance.
The visiting team, led by Ms. Maria Ruuskanen, Trade Officer at the Embassy of Finland, was hosted by the NDPC’s Head of Research and Development Department, Dr. Tolulope Pius-Fadipe, at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
The meeting centered on a project under the African Union–European Union (AU–EU) Data Governance in Africa Initiative, which is being implemented by Gofore Ltd. in collaboration with HAUS (Finland) and GIZ (Germany). Nigeria is one of the initiative’s key focus countries, alongside Tanzania, South Africa, Rwanda, and Senegal.
The project seeks to develop cybersecurity guidelines for data centres, accompanied by training materials and evaluation tools aimed at enhancing operational resilience and ensuring compliance with African and international data protection standards.
Discussions during the engagement covered several strategic areas, including national priorities for secure data infrastructure, digital resilience, and the role of policy and regulation in balancing data sovereignty, localisation, and regional integration. Participants also examined collaborative strategies between government agencies, regulators, and private sector operators to promote the adoption of cybersecurity best practices.
The meeting further explored potential cooperation between the NDPC and the Finland Data Protection Authority, with both sides expressing interest in advancing joint initiatives that support knowledge exchange, capacity building, and cross-border data governance.
The engagement reflects NDPC’s commitment to building strategic international partnerships that reinforce Nigeria’s leadership in data protection and cybersecurity on the African continent.
