In order to provide employment opportunities in data protection for the state’s young, the government of Ondo State has approached the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) for collaboration.
The NDPC’s Head of Media, Itunu Dosekun, published a statement on Saturday stating that Olayide Adelami, the Deputy Governor of Ondo State, had visited the organization’s headquarters in Abuja on Friday in order to discuss a cooperation.
The State specifically wants to close the shortage of data protection experts in the nation. Prior to this, the NDPC has bemoaned the scarcity of data protection officers in Nigeria, emphasizing that just 10,000 of the 500,000 open posts are being filled.
While noting that the purpose of his visit was to explore possible areas of collaboration between NDPC and the state in a way that fosters development for the people of the State, Dr Olayide said:
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“Our government is passionate about youth development and one of the ways to ensure our youths are gainfully employed is to equip them with the right skills, needed for 21st-century workplace.
“In view of this, we have identified ICT as one key area to upskill our youths and expand their capabilities to be globally competitive.
“My visit here today is to meet with the team at NDPC to establish a partnership that will enable us train thousands of young graduates in Ondo state as data protection officers, realizing the enormous opportunity in this field.”
Meanwhile, the National Commissioner/CEO of NDPC, Dr Vincent Olatunji, expressed the Commission’s readiness to work with the Ondo state government to promote a culture of Data Protection that would also help create employment opportunities for young people in the state.
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Olatunji commended the Deputy Governor’s understanding of the importance of data protection. According to him, unauthorized access to data will lead to breaches, and breaches will lead to lots of implications, such as reputational damage, financial loss, and in extreme cases, death.
He acknowledged the Ondo state government’s commitment to addressing this issue and its potential to enhance trust and confidence in governance. Dr Olatunji warmly accepted the proposed collaboration, expressing the Commission’s eagerness to work with the Ondo state government to promote a culture of Data Protection, enhance capacity, and create employment opportunities within the state.
“Jobs will be available for the youths of Ondo state when they are trained and certified as Data Protection Officers, which will also give room for global competition,” he added.
The collaborative effort between NDPC and the Ondo state government is seen as a significant step towards harnessing data protection for youth development and governance enhancement, ultimately contributing to the progress and prosperity of Ondo state and Nigeria as a whole.
