Challenges to the Implementation and Enforcement of Data Protection in Nigeria

Abstract

Data protection is an important tool to the development of any country. The purpose of this research is to discuss on the challenges to implementation and enforcement of electronic data protection with a view to highlighting the challenges and identify some of the remedial measures that need to be adopted in addressing the challenges. There have been threat to data protection in developing countries and such threats are evident in developed countries, for instance the laws on data protection and privacy which are not specific to the target, like the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended) and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation 2019.  Other challenges to data protection as identified in this paper include dearth of judicial decisions on data privacy violations, unethical computer users in the office, computer system mal-function, hardware failure, power blackouts and power failures, lack of data protection practitioners in Nigeria, issue of consent to data collection. Doctrinal method of research is adopted for writing this paper. Certain remedies are discussed which includes internet regulation for users and internet service providers, computer ethics education and training among users, cross-border harmonization of laws on data protection and enforcement procedures, response to and preparing for power blackouts/power failures, response to system and hardware failures and introduction of national youth development forums and self-employment initiatives. Data protection is a vital tool to the development of any country.

Keywords: Enforcement, Data Protection, Nigeria

DOI: 10.7176/JLPG/121-07

Publication date:May 31^st 2022