The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has launched the Meta-Supported Initiatives for Data Protection (M-SIDP), a strategic programme aimed at strengthening strategic guardrails for data subjects. This initiative is in connection with the Commission’s regulatory process involving Meta Platforms, Inc., following investigations into the company’s data processing practices in Nigeria.
The matter was concluded in 2025 through a court-approved settlement. As part of the settlement, Meta committed to supporting a two-year programme of public facing data protection measures that aligns with the objectives of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 (NDP Act), the NDP Act General Application and Implementation Directive (GAID) and the NDPC Strategic Roadmap and Action Plan (SRAP) 2023–2027.
The M-SIDP programme is structured around the following strategic areas:
- Governance, Research and Development;
- Fostering Safety and Sustainability Mechanisms for Ecosystem & Technology;
- Capacity Development for Data Protection Officers (DPOs) and Data Protection Compliance Organisations (DPCOs);
- Public Awareness Targeting Data Subjects – with keen interest in vulnerable groups.
In a statement by the NDPC: “Nothing in this settlement limits the Commission’s independent statutory powers as we continue to exercise our regulatory mandate in relation to data processing activities in Nigeria, in accordance with the NDP Act and other applicable laws.
The Commission will consistently provide periodic updates on the implementation of the M-SIDP programme and calls on all stakeholders to support the initiative in advancing a secure and accountable privacy ecosystem in Nigeria.”
