Yhe property was allocated to the NDPC after the commission raised concerns that its expanding responsibilities, growing workforce and increasing international profile were no longer matched by an adequate permanent office
By Mmesoma Onwuka
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has approved the allocation of an asset recovered by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) for use as its new headquarters in Abuja.
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr Bosun Tijani, disclosed this on Monday, September 14, 2026, during the commissioning of the new facility in Mbora District, Abuja.
Tijani said the property was allocated to the NDPC after the commission raised concerns that its expanding responsibilities, growing workforce and increasing international profile were no longer matched by an adequate permanent office.
According to him, President Tinubu subsequently directed that the recovered property be converted into the headquarters of the data protection regulator.
The minister described the development as a practical example of how recovered assets could be returned to productive use for the benefit of Nigerians.
“An asset that is recovered on behalf of the Nigerian people has been returned to productive use for the protection of Nigerian people,” Tijani said.
He added that the property, which was previously associated with the consequences of corruption, had now become the headquarters of an institution responsible for protecting personal data and strengthening public trust in Nigeria’s digital economy.
Tijani also highlighted the financial challenges faced by the NDPC during its formative years, saying the commission struggled to meet some of its obligations, including salary payments, before the President provided direct financial support to enable it to establish sustainable revenue streams.
The minister noted that President Tinubu also signed the Nigeria Data Protection Act shortly after assuming office in 2023, giving the commission a stronger legal framework to protect the privacy and personal data of Nigerians.
He said the President subsequently directed ministries, departments and agencies of government to comply with the country’s data protection laws and regulatory framework.
Tijani stressed the need for stronger data protection measures as Nigeria’s digital economy expands and artificial intelligence becomes increasingly integrated into businesses, government services and everyday life.
“As our digital economy expands, as more government services become digital, as more Nigerian businesses use data to create value, and particularly as artificial intelligence becomes increasingly embedded in our economy and society, questions around privacy, data governance, trust, and the responsible use of technology will continue to become more important,” he said.
NDPC Generates N12bn Revenue in Three Years
Speaking at the event, the National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer of the NDPC, Vincent Olatunji, said the commission secured approval for the property from the EFCC in July 2025, while renovation work commenced in March 2026.
Olatunji described the new headquarters as a major transformation for the commission, recalling that the agency began operations in February 2022 with about 12 employees and no dedicated funding.
He said he initially relied on personal resources to support the commission’s operations before the agency received N50 million from the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in September 2022 as its first major funding support.
According to him, the NDPC has since licensed 356 Data Protection Compliance Organisations (DPCOs), while activities within the data protection ecosystem have generated more than 27,000 jobs in three years.
“Through the activities of these DPCOs and our own work, we were able to create 27,000 plus jobs within three years,” Olatunji said.
He further disclosed that the commission had generated more than N12 billion in revenue within three years, while the broader data privacy and protection ecosystem was valued at more than N18 billion.
Olatunji said more than 66,000 Nigerians had enrolled in the commission’s Virtual Privacy Academy, while 220 training programmes had reached 99,370 beneficiaries.
He added that the NDPC had established 17 data privacy clubs in universities, recruited 6,176 student ambassadors and reached more than 250,000 Nigerians through its public engagement activities.
The NDPC chief executive also disclosed that representatives from 17 countries had visited Nigeria within the past two years to learn from the commission’s experience and regulatory model.
He said the NDPC had also signed 28 memoranda of understanding with organisations and data protection authorities in countries including Canada, Morocco, Liberia, Kenya and Ghana.
New Headquarters Reflects NDPC Growth
Earlier, the NDPC’s Head of People Management and Administration, Mrs Watira Fitto, said the new headquarters reflected the rapid growth of the commission since its establishment.
Fitto said the facility would strengthen the commission’s ability to enforce compliance with data protection regulations and safeguard the rights of Nigerians.
She described the new headquarters as a demonstration of the NDPC’s expanding institutional capacity and its commitment to long-term stability.
According to her, the commission had operated from four different locations within four years.
She recalled that the agency initially occupied fewer than three office spaces at NITDA before expanding to about eight offices in Maitama and later 26 offices in Asokoro.
The commission has now moved into the new facility in Mbora District, which comprises about 56 office spaces.
“The new headquarters is a statement of the commission’s growing capacity and commitment to institutional stability,” Fitto said.