The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), has listed
Dangote Group, MTN Nigeria, the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN), Bua Cement as top organisations that observed complete compliance to the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) Audit filing list between 2020 and 2021.
The agency in a comprehensive list signed by the NITDA’s Head of Corporate Affairs and External Relations, Mrs Hadiza Umar and accessible through https://nitda.gov.ng/official-ndpr-audit-list-2021/
lauded the efforts of 1213 companies that were compliant and captured in the audit filing.
According to her, the list is an authoritative repository of organizations that have prioritized compliance with the country’s data protection regulation and has therefore become a reference point for global law firms, multinationals, investors, and compliance enthusiasts.
“The list also indicates those organisations that have undergone the NDPR audit process to ascertain their level of compliance, and identify areas for improvement.”
All the listed organizations, she added have engaged a Data Protection Compliance Organization (DPCO) to train their staff, and to implement basic data protection protocols, she added.
“The list comprises 1,213 organizations from 13 sectors that contribute to Nigeria’s GDP.
“They include Health, Transport & Logistics, Public Sector, Industrial and Extractive, ICT and Media, Energy and Power, Education, Finance, Commerce, and Consulting,” Umar said.
Meanwhile, NITDA through its subsidiary, the National Centre for Artificial Intelligence and Robotics (NCAIR), and in partnership with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), is set to launch iHatch, a startup incubation programme aimed at increasing the number of innovation-driven enterprises by Nigerian youths.
The incubation program will provide an excellent opportunity for startups that have innovative business ideas along with a prototype of their products or services.
iHatch is a 5-month free intensive incubation program designed to help Nigerian entrepreneurs perfect their business ideas through a series of coaching, lectures, and boot camps, to generate viable and scalable business models. iHatch focuses on youth, innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology.
According to the NITDA Spokesperson, she quoted the Director-General of the agency, Mallam Kashifu Inuwa as saying that participating startups will receive free offline and online interactive training from experienced coaches and mentors from over the world.
Other benefits include free co-working space for the duration of the programme and investment opportunities.
“iHatch seeks to establish a programme that will accelerate the process of taking ideas to impact, hence providing the much-needed jobs for our teeming youths, and also nurturing that entrepreneurial spirit in them, which will catalyse the Nigerian digital economy to the next level.” the Director-General/CEO, said. iHatch is available at NCAIR websitehttps://www.ncair.nitda.gov.ng
