NDPC engages Finnish delegation on cybersecurity collaboration and data governance
Date: 2025-10-26
By: Kanto Kai Okanta
The
Nigeria Data Protection Commission
(NDPC), led by Dr.
Tolulope Pius-Fadipe, Head of Research and Development, has
hosted a delegation of Finnish cybersecurity experts headed by Ms. Maria Ruuskanen, Trade Officer
at the Embassy of Finland.
The
meeting focused on advancing cooperation under the AU–EU Data Governance in Africa Initiative,
a project implemented by Gofore Ltd.
in partnership with HAUS (Finland)
and GIZ (Germany).
Nigeria is among the initiative’s key focus countries, alongside Tanzania, South Africa, Rwanda, and Senegal.
The
project seeks to develop cybersecurity
guidelines for data centres, supported by training materials and evaluation tools,
to strengthen digital resilience and align national frameworks with both
African and international standards.
During
the discussions, participants highlighted Nigeria’s national priorities for secure data infrastructure, digital resilience, and the balance between data sovereignty, localisation, and
regional integration. They also explored ways to foster
collaboration between government institutions, regulators, and private sector
players to promote the adoption of cybersecurity best practices.
The
meeting further explored proposed
cooperation between the NDPC and the Finland Data Protection Authority,
along with other potential areas of partnership aimed at enhancing Nigeria’s
cybersecurity ecosystem and data governance capacity.
