What Is Personal Data and Why Does It Matter to You?
When you create an account on a Nigerian bank app, your name, phone number, BVN, and transaction history are collected. When you register on a health app, your medical history may be stored. When you ride with a transport app, your location and payment details are logged.
All of this is your personal data. The Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 exists to ensure that every organisation collecting your data handles it responsibly — with your knowledge, for a legitimate purpose, and no longer than necessary.
Three Rights You Should Know Today
Right to Know
Every organisation collecting your data must tell you what it is collecting, why it needs it, how long it will keep it, and with whom it may share it. This information should be in their privacy policy.
Right to Access
You can write to any organisation at any time and ask: "What personal data do you hold about me?" They must respond within 72 hours and send you a copy. No charge, no special reason required — it is your data.
Right to Erasure
In many cases, you can ask an organisation to delete your data. If you no longer use a service and there is no legal reason for them to keep your data, they must delete it.
Mark this unit as read to earn your points and proceed.
Units in this module