Data Privacy and Protection Laws in Nigeria for Sustainable Development: Insights from International Perspectives

Abstract

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) can help Nigeria handle its data privacy issues while supporting sustainable development, making them crucial to data security and privacy laws. However, in a data-driven age, data privacy is vital for trust in digital systems and respecting individuals' rights. This study discusses Nigeria's data protection laws, its strengths, weaknesses, and future directions. The study also reviews United Kingdom (UK) and South African (SA) data privacy legislation to provide a guide for Nigerian lawmakers to gain insight into them and offer ways to improve their laws. This work found that South Africa's resources and capacity limit its ability to enforce the law, while Nigeria lacks effective laws and independent authority to enforce data protection laws, unlike the UK law, which covers most data privacy issues and has good enforcement. The study concludes that Nigeria needs comprehensive data protection laws like the UK's and robust enforcement mechanisms.