By Emmanuel Elebeke

ABUJA – The National Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has assured Nigerians that it is working closely with Meta and WhatsApp to resolve the issues that led to their threatened exit from the country.

Speaking on Monday at a one-day workshop for Data Protection Officers organized by the NDPC in collaboration with Mastercard in Abuja, NDPC Commissioner, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, emphasized a collaborative approach toward finding a mutually beneficial solution.

“Our approach is partnership,” Olatunji said. “We are working with them to see how we can resolve these issues. You don’t throw away the baby with the bathwater. What matters is whether they are willing to do what is right. There are political means to resolve this, and I am confident we will reach an agreement.”

The development follows threats by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to sanction Meta for allegedly violating the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR). Investigations reportedly uncovered multiple and repeated infringements by the tech giant.

In response, Meta reportedly threatened to exit Nigeria if the regulatory actions were enforced.

The NDPC-organized workshop focused on hands-on training for Data Protection Impact Assessment (DPIA), aimed at enhancing data protection practices in Nigeria.