The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has highlighted the pressing need for over 500,000 data protection officers in the country. Dr Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner of the NDPC, made this revelation during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.
The National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) recently instructed Polytechnics and Mono-technics to unbundle the HND Computer Science course into four specialized areas. These areas comprise Artificial Intelligence, Networking and Cloud Computing, Software and Web Development, as well as Cybersecurity and Data Protection.
Dr Olatunji expressed his satisfaction with this development, emphasizing the significance of focusing on these specific areas. He underscored the critical shortage of skilled manpower in these domains, particularly the acute shortage of data protection officers, which stands at less than 10,000 certified professionals in the entire country.
In response to these challenges, the commission is proactively working to establish a body that will facilitate the collaboration of trainers and identify specialized institutions such as universities and polytechnics to train data protection officers. Additionally, Mr. Olatunji emphasized that AI development is a pivotal component of the five strategic pillars of the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, which also encompasses innovation, entrepreneurship, and capital.
However, he stressed the need to adapt existing curriculums to align with global best practices, ensuring Nigeria’s competitiveness in the international arena. He expressed the commission’s willingness to collaborate with NBTE to achieve these objectives, highlighting the potential benefits of such collaboration for all stakeholders.
This urgent call for an extensive pool of data specialists underlines the crucial role that Nigeria’s digital economy plays in the global landscape. It is imperative for the country to address this shortage by fostering specialized education, innovation, and collaboration to meet the demands of the digital era.
