The Committee of Vice Chancellors of Nigerian Universities (CVCNU) has asked the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to ensure student data at universities is safe. During a visit to Dr Vincent Olatunji, the National Commissioner of NDPC, in Abuja, CVCNU Secretary General Professor Yakubu Ochefu asked that students and top officers in Nigerian institutions be taught how to protect their data.
Professor Ochefu told the group they should consider the Nigerian Data Protection Act 2023. He also said Nigeria should have established a law to protect students’ information years ago. Ochefu said Nigerian universities will help implement the Act, so the NDPC needs to work with them.
Prof. Ochefu said after the Abuja meeting that Vice Chancellors at 264 universities are also Chief Data Protection Officers and that the average VC has four jobs at the university.
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“When I told them that their university has a new Chief Data Officer, the VCs immediately saw the value of Data Protection in how forms are made in universities, how personal information is handled, how results are posted on the wall, etc.,” he said.
An average Vice-Chancellor is the Chief Accounting Officer, Executive Officer, Academic Officer, and Security Officer, says Ochefu.
He added that the committee will work with NDPC to organize a maximized capacity workshop for Vice Chancellors and Data Officers to establish a template for improving compliance and getting everyone on board.
Response of NDPC
Dr. Olatunji, the National Commissioner of NDPC, commended the CVCNU for demanding a data protection partnership in Nigeria’s education sector. He noted that education is necessary due to the volume of personal data collected daily.
“The education sector is even stranger. When I was in university, we went to the notice board at the end of each semester to check our results, which included our names, dates of birth, matriculation numbers, scores, and grades. He remarked that with 2.6 million students, many things must have been mismanaged and ignored in this crucial industry.
The NDPC expects to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with CVCNU to drive collaboration soon.
Why data protection should be a top priority in Nigerian schools
Data security is essential in Nigeria’s education sector because it protects the privacy, rights, and personal information of both students and staff.
Laws on data privacy, like the Nigerian Data Privacy Regulation (NDPR), must also be followed by educational institutions to escape legal problems and fines. Students, parents, and staff are more likely to trust a school with their personal information if it has a robust data protection system.
Also, data security is the most essential way to protect private information like academic records and financial information. This helps stop data breaches and cyberattacks that can have profound effects. Protecting study data and intellectual property rights is essential because it encourages new ideas and high academic standards.
Ethical concerns also come into play when the educational sector promotes responsible data handling and study practices.
Early implementation of data protection measures can pay off in the long run by saving institutions from expensive data recovery efforts and possible damage to their image.