Nigeria's Data Protection Act: Legal Basis Project Launched

The Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDP Act) 2023 has been enacted to provide a formal legal framework for personal data protection, accountability, and citizens' digital rights, replacing previous regulations and establishing the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC). A challenge has emerged regarding the overreliance on consent as the primary legal basis for data processing, complicating the Act's implementation.

To address this, the Legal Basis Project was launched on October 13, 2025, in Abuja, spearheaded by Tech Hive Advisory with support from Meta. This initiative aims to clarify the NDP Act 2023's provisions among stakeholders, including policymakers and technology professionals.

The project's first report, released six months post-launch, indicated significant engagement, with 4,360 unique visitors from 72 countries and over 1.58 million video views. Rigorous research, including focus group discussions with various regulatory bodies and a survey of over 300 respondents, revealed that 74% believed organizations default to consent for data processing due to a lack of understanding of alternative legal options.