The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has commenced a forensic investigation into the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Lotus Bank and Hackerbella Ltd over alleged violations of data protection laws.
The commission’s Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations, Mr Babatunde Bamigboye, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
Bamigboye said the investigation followed complaints alleging that students’ personal data were used to open bank accounts without a lawful basis.
He said the National Commissioner of the NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, had directed the investigation team to conduct a comprehensive assessment of how the affected students’ personal data were collected, processed and disclosed.
The team will also establish the roles and responsibilities of the parties involved in the alleged processing of the data.
According to Bamigboye, the investigation will assess the parties’ compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, and determine potential risks to the rights and freedoms of the affected students.
He said the probe would examine Data Protection Impact Assessments, the legality and transparency of credit scoring or profiling activities, as well as the use of automated decision-making systems.
It will also assess the adequacy of privacy notices, data-sharing arrangements, lawful bases for processing, data minimization, purpose limitation, retention policies and technical and organizational measures for protecting data subjects’ rights.
Bamigboye reiterated that institutions entrusted with the personal information of students, staff and other members of their communities had a responsibility to process such data lawfully, fairly, transparently and securely.
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He also urged educational institutions yet to comply with the commission’s existing data protection directives to do so without further delay.
The NDPC official stressed that compliance with data protection regulations was essential to safeguarding the rights and freedoms of individuals and promoting responsible data governance across the education sector.
