NDPC Hosts Inaugural Hackathon to Foster Indigenous Solutions for Data Protection Implementation
The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) hosted its first hackathon on Friday, aimed at generating local ideas for implementing data protection laws. The event was part of the activities for National Data Privacy Week, celebrated from January 28 to February 4, and focused on undergraduate students from higher institutions.
Organized in collaboration with the Nigeria Computer Society, ISACA Abuja chapter, and Innov8 Tech Hub, the hackathon was themed “Privacy-first Solution: Integrating Data Privacy by Design.”
Vincent Olatunji, the national commissioner of NDPC, explained that the week was aligned with Global Privacy Day on January 28, with the goal of raising awareness, building capacity, and developing solutions in the data privacy sector. He emphasized the need for policy dialogue and addressing emerging issues around the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) signed in June 2023 to ensure its proper implementation.
The hackathon aimed to identify indigenous solutions to address challenges in implementing the law, including investigations, reporting, and self-assessment. Mr. Olatunji expressed satisfaction with the students’ performance, highlighting the government’s efforts in educating people on data protection.
The winner of the hackathon will be announced at the NDPC’s anniversary dinner and awards night on February 4. Mr. Olatunji mentioned plans to support the winning team by incubating their ideas and working with them to develop solutions with global impact.
Regarding data privacy compliance, Mr. Olatunji noted that it is an ongoing process, with public institutions showing improvement over the years.
Chidera Ike-Okonkwo, the head of innovation at NDPC, described the hackathon as a competition challenging students on privacy-enhancing technologies to advance the sector. She highlighted the impressive performance of the participants and their innovative project ideas.
Halleluyah Oludele, team lead for Privalon, one of the hackathon groups, presented “ChainVote Solution,” aimed at addressing identity management in the voting system through decentralization of data.
One of the judges, Favour Femi-Oyewole, group CISO/Data protection officer of Access Bank, praised the diversity among the students and emphasized the potential of the data protection ecosystem for the government and private sectors.
The three finalist teams consisted of students from Nile University, University of Abuja, and University of Ibadan, showcasing the breadth of knowledge and talent among university students.
The prizes for the hackathon include N750,000 for the first position, N500,000 for the second position, and N250,000 for the third position.
Peoples Gazette
