NITDA insists that they're not operating outside confines of the law as being speculated …

NITDA insists that they’re not operating outside confines of the law as being speculated …

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) on Thursday said that it was not operating outside the confines of the Law as being speculated by some digital rights groups.

The Head, Corporate Affairs and External Relations of NITDA, Hajia Hadiza Umar, made the assertion while speaking with Supreme Magazine in Lagos.

Supreme Magazine reports that NITDA was reacting to the controversy and challenges with the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) which ranged from concerns about process to allegation of sabotage.

NITDA had on January 25, 2019, rolled out Data regulations guidelines.

Umar said that NITDA was trying to protect the lives of the citizens through the digital right protection laws.

She said that NITDA’s mandate was to regulate and develop laws, so if it made laws it was still operating within its confines.

“NITDA rolled out the Data Regulation Guidelines on 25th of January 2019.

“We are mandated by law to render advisory services in all Information Technology (IT) matters to the public and private sector.

“’Also, to advise government on ways of promoting the development of IT in Nigeria, including introducing appropriate IT legislation to enhance national security and the vibrancy of the industry.

“’It is in Section 6, f and l, of the NITDA Act. So, we are not operating outside the confines of the law,” Umar told Supreme Magazine.

Meanwhile, an Internet governance expert, Mr Adeboye Adegoke, has argued that NITDA’s attempt of regulation through the NDPR was an act of agency and jurisdiction overreach.

Adegoke said that the agency was not set up to regulate data protection within Nigeria.

He said that the NDPR which was scheduled to take effect in April 2019 was befuddling for most people who followed the process around the data protection bill.

According to him, one is led to believe that NITDA that was part of the process for obvious reasons do not want Nigeria to have a data protection law.

He said it was still unclear why NITDA was attempting to take ownership of the data legislative terrain in Nigeria.

Supreme Magazine reports that the NDPR is aimed at creating a balance between individual privacy rights and legislative use of data for business, security, education as well as provision of basic and essential services.

Source: NAN

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