The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has launched the Meta Supported Initiatives for Data Protection (M-SIDP), a two-year strategic program designed to strengthen data safeguards for Nigerian users. The announcement was made on Monday via a press release signed by the Head of the Media Unit, Itunu Dosekun.
Background of the Initiative
The initiative stems from a 2025 court-approved settlement after the NDPC investigated Meta's data processing practices in Nigeria. As part of the settlement, Meta committed to supporting a two-year program of public-facing data protection measures aligned with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, the NDP Act General Application and Implementation Directive (GAID), and the NDPC Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP) 2023-2027.
Strategic Areas of M-SIDP
The M-SIDP program is structured around four key strategic areas: governance, research and development; fostering safety and sustainability mechanisms for the ecosystem and technology; capacity development for Data Protection Officers (DPOs) and Data Protection Compliance Organisations (DPCOs); and public awareness targeting data subjects, with a keen interest in vulnerable groups.
Dosekun emphasized that the NDPC retains full independent regulatory authority. Nothing in the settlement limits the commission's statutory powers, and it continues to exercise its regulatory mandate regarding data processing activities in Nigeria, in accordance with the NDP Act and other applicable laws.
Ongoing Commitment
The commission promised to provide periodic updates on the implementation of the M-SIDP program and called on all stakeholders to support the initiative in advancing a secure and accountable privacy ecosystem in Nigeria.
Related Concerns in the Telecom Sector
Just last month, the presidential candidate for the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, called out mobile networks operating in the country, stating that the 'telecom cartel is bleeding Nigerians dry'. A few weeks prior to May 2026, Sowore demanded the 'total occupation' of MTN Nigeria over chronic service failures.
In a post on his official X account on April 23, 2026, Sowore called on Nigerians to occupy MTN, lamenting the telecom company's unexplained data loss and dropped calls despite its market dominance. He attached a 2026 chart by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) showing that MTN controls 51.8% of the nation's 182 million telecom subscribers, far ahead of Airtel (34.1%), Glo (12.3%), and 9mobile (1.8%).
'Why MTN must face total occupation by Nigerians! They dominate Nigeria's telecom space but operate with reckless disregard for their customers. Data vanishes without explanation, calls fail repeatedly, and accountability is nonexistent. MTN is totally and irreversibly irresponsible,' Sowore wrote.
Calling the company out again on May 4, he lamented that the telecom cartel is bleeding Nigerians dry. 'The company now known as Most Terrible Network (MTN) sits at the top of this exploitation pyramid, stealing, robbing, and extorting millions of Nigerian subscribers daily,' Sowore wrote, adding that MTN is not alone. 'But they are not alone. Airtel Nigeria, Glo World and 9mobileNG are all complicit. All are feeding off Nigerians with impunity. Dropped calls. Vanishing data. Phantom charges. The agencies supervising are also complicit, no consequences. Enough is enough. This is not poor service; it is organized exploitation. #OCCUPYMTN NOW. Reclaim your digital rights.'
