The National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the (NDPC), , has led a delegation from the Commission on a strategic working visit to the Managing Director/CEO of the (NELFund), .
During the visit, Olatunji commended Sawyerr for his leadership of NELFund, noting that the agency has supported approximately 1.3 million students across Nigeria. He said the initiative aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President .
The NDPC boss also briefed NELFund officials on the evolution of data protection and privacy in Nigeria, highlighting the benefits of compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDP Act), 2023. He warned of the risks associated with non-compliance, particularly for institutions handling sensitive personal data.
Olatunji stressed that NELFund processes large volumes of student information through its loan programmes, making it essential to implement robust safeguards. He urged the Fund to sensitise its staff on data protection principles and extend compliance efforts to partner tertiary institutions and vendors.
In his response, Sawyerr praised Olatunji’s commitment to strengthening data protection in Nigeria. He acknowledged the challenge of balancing transparency and accountability with privacy concerns but affirmed that safeguarding student data remains a priority for NELFund.
Sawyerr also expressed the Fund’s readiness to collaborate with the NDPC to ensure full compliance with the NDP Act.
As part of the partnership, Olatunji offered free induction training for NELFund staff, including access to Virtual Privacy Academy programmes and certification opportunities for selected Data Protection Officers.
Both organisations agreed to establish a joint working group to deepen cooperation and advance data protection compliance initiatives.
