By Adedapo Adesanya

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has warned that the country faces a significant gap of 480,000 Data Protection Officers (DPOs), in spite of notable progress recorded in the last three years.

The National Commissioner of NDPC, Mr Vincent Olatunji, disclosed the opening of a one-week training for the second cohort of DPOs Training and Certification Programme in Abuja.

Mr Olatunji said there were still shortages even as the number of certified DPOs in Nigeria increased from fewer than 1,000 three years ago to over 10,000, while more than 27,000 professionals now operate within the broader privacy ecosystem.

However, he noted that the gap remained wide due to the increasing number of data controllers and processors in the country.

“We have identified over 500,000 data controllers and processors who require the services of data protection officers.

“At the moment, we have about 10,000 certified DPOs to work in that space.

“The gap of about 480,000 still exists, which underscores the need for sustained capacity building,” he said.

The NDPC boss said the commission was intensifying efforts to bridge the gap through continuous training programmes.

He said the initiative was aimed at positioning Nigeria as a hub for highly skilled and globally competitive data protection professionals in Africa.

“Our goal is to make Nigeria the go-to country when it comes to sourcing qualified data protection officers in Africa.

“The certification we offer meets global standards, enabling practitioners to operate not just locally but in any part of the world,” Mr Olatunji said.

He said the programme would also contribute to job creation within the digital economy, in line with the federal government’s priorities.

On her part, Mrs Tolu Fadipe, the commission’s Head of Research and Development, emphasised the critical role of data protection in the digital economy.

She said that responsible data handling was fundamental to the growth of digital systems and emerging technologies.

“As we move towards a digital economy, data becomes central and protecting that data is essential.

“This training is designed to build competence and ensure organisations comply with the Nigeria Data Protection Act,” she said.

By Adedapo Adesanya

Mr Salimon Akanni Oladiti is in pole position to take over the presidency of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).

According to reports, Mr Oladiti, who is the current National Trustee of the union, will take over from Mr Williams Akporeha, who is set to exit office at the end of April after eight years at the helm.

Mr Akporeha announced his departure at the weekend during the Quarterly National Executive Council meeting of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Branch in Warri, Delta State.

He noted that the union will elect a new president on April 24 in Lagos.

If Mr Oladiti, a former PTD National Chairman, emerges as the president of the union, it would be the first time a PTD member ascends to NUPENG’s top office.

The move gained momentum at the meeting, where Mr Joseph Okafor moved a motion for Mr Oladiti’s unanimous ratification, seconded by Mr Adekunle Akinlaja.

Mr Akporeha expressed gratitude to PTD members for their steadfast support throughout his tenure.

“Eight years ago, you stood by me in this same room. You didn’t only stand by me, you supported me. When things were tough, you were there through all the challenges.

“I want to appreciate all of you. If I stand to support one of your own as President, I have no apology. If I had done anything otherwise, my conscience would have troubled me. God used you to install me,” he said.

He urged members to rally behind Oladiti and the newly elected PTD National Chairman, Mathias Ote, to sustain the union’s stability and growth.

“By the grace of God, as I move along, I want to see a union stronger than I left it. I don’t want to see PTD go into disarray. The greatest favour you can do is to support this man whom you have elected today as your national chairman. Also support your own that will be the President, by the grace of God, on April 24,” he added.

On his part, the President of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Mr Lawal Yusuf Othman, commended NUPENG for steering a peaceful transition.

“I once again want to appreciate NUPENG. NARTO will continue to give you the necessary support,” he said.

By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 presidential election, Mr Peter Obi, has knocked President Bola Tinubu for downplaying the hardship Nigerians are going through.

The former Governor of Anambra State was reacting to remarks by Mr Tinubu that Nigerians should be grateful for not going through what Kenyans are experiencing due to a hike in petrol prices as a result of the war in Iran, triggered by the United States and Israel.

During a visit to Bayelsa State over the weekend, President Tinubu said, “Let’s just thank God together that you are better off listening to them in Kenya and other African countries. What they are going through.”

But Mr Obi frowned at the President’s statement, saying key development indicators such as security, the Human Development Index, life expectancy, GDP per capita, literacy levels, and electricity access show Kenya outperforms Nigeria.

According to him, the standard of living of Kenyans is better than that of Nigerians, noting that if the President considers Kenyans to be suffering despite these stronger figures, then Nigerians are in a far more difficult situation.

He advised Mr Tinubu to “refrain from self-consolation and, in honest reflection, take responsibility for the situation and make a determined effort to drive improvement.”

He submitted that, “This requires a posture of humility, accountability, and commitment to addressing the factors that have slowed Nigeria’s development.”

Mr Obi noted that, “Nigeria is the fourth most terrorised nation in the world, while Kenya is not among the ten worst. Kenya’s HDI ranking is 143 out of 180 countries, with a coefficient of about 0.630, compared to Nigeria’s ranking of 164 out of 180, with a coefficient of about 0.530. Its GDP per capita is roughly $2,200–$2,300, compared to Nigeria’s $807–$835.

“Kenya’s poverty rate is about 43 per cent of the population (approximately 23 million people), while Nigeria’s is about 63 per cent (around 150 million people), over six times that of Kenya. Kenya’s life expectancy is about 67 years, while Nigeria’s is about 54 years. The literacy rate in Kenya is approximately 81–85 per cent, compared to Nigeria’s 62–65 per cent.

“Kenya’s electricity access is higher, while Nigeria has one of the lowest levels of electricity access in the world. Kenya has about 3.5 million out-of-school children, while Nigeria has about 20 million. Kenya’s inflation rate has been about 4.5 per cent or lower over the past three years, while Nigeria’s has remained above 15 per cent within the same period.

“Kenya’s exchange rate has been around USD 1 to KES 130 over the past three years, whereas Nigeria’s exchange rate rose from below N500/$1 to above N1,250/$1 within the same period. Even with developments in the Middle East and rising oil prices, Kenyans have not experienced the sharp increases in petroleum product prices seen in Nigeria.”

The chieftain of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) said while the President’s comments “may have been intended to soften the impact of economic hardship and rising fuel prices,” they risk downplaying the severity of the current crisis.

“It echoes the biblical parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in the Gospel of Luke (18:9–14). A similar warning is found in the Qur’an (53:32), which cautions against self-righteousness.

“Like the Pharisee who boasted of his superiority over others to mask his own spiritual void, such downward comparisons serve more as a refuge than a remedy.

“This validated an earlier dismissive remark by President Ahmed Bola Tinubu during electioneering: Na statistics we go shop? Yet statistics remain indispensable – they are the language through which nations understand their condition and chart progress.

“No country can develop in isolation from measurable realities or without comparing itself with peers. Comparisons, when properly grounded, are not instruments of escapism but tools of accountability. What is objectionable is not comparison itself, but comparison stripped of credible, verifiable data—mere tax collector comparisons that soothe rather than solve,” he stated in his post titled From Pharisee to Tax Collector: Rethinking Tinubu’s Kenyan Comparison.