AN OVERVIEW OF THE GENERAL APPLICATION AND IMPLEMENTATION DIRECTIVE (GAID) 2024 OF THE NIGERIA DATA PROTECTION ACT (NDPA)

The Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) recently released a draft implementation directive known as General Application and Implementation Directive (GAID) 2024. Its primary objective is the implementation of the Nigerian Data Protection Act (NDPA), designed to safeguard the right to privacy, in accordance with Nigeria’s 1999 constitution (as amended). It provides for guidance in areas of disruptive technologies involving the processing of personal data around the world. While the NDPA is the primary data protection legislation in Nigeria, the GAID seeks to regulate the interpretation and implementation of the provisions of the NDPA. This Article considers the GAID draft policy vis-à-vis the NDPA while highlighting the implications of some of its provisions.