NDPC Investigates UNILAG, Lotus Bank for Data Breaches

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has initiated a forensic investigation into the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Lotus Bank, and Hackerbella Ltd due to public complaints regarding the unauthorized use of students' personal data to open bank accounts. This announcement was made in a statement signed by Babatunde Bamigboye, Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations, and shared on the NDPC's X handle.

The investigation, directed by Dr Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the NDPC, will assess the circumstances surrounding the collection, use, and disclosure of the affected students' personal data. It will also evaluate compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, focusing on various aspects such as Data Protection Impact Assessments, credit scoring activities, privacy notices, data-sharing arrangements, and safeguards for data subjects' rights.

The NDPC emphasized the responsibility of educational institutions to process personal data lawfully and transparently and warned those non-compliant with existing directives to rectify their practices immediately.