GOV. ABBA YUSUF SACKS KANO STATE HEAD OF SERVICE . (PHOTO).

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 GOVERNOR ABBA  YUSUF SACKS  KANO STATE HEAD OF SERVICE   The Executive Governor of Kano State, Abba Kabir Yusuf, has relieved the State Head of Service, Abdullahi Musa, of his appointment with immediate effect. In a statement  by the Director General, Media and Publicity to the Governor, Sunusi Bature Dawakin Tofa, the decision is part of the ongoing efforts by the present administration to reposition the state civil service for greater efficiency, discipline, and improved service delivery across all government institutions. Governor Yusuf expressed appreciation to the outgoing Head of Service for his contributions and dedication to the service of the State  The statement further directed that Bilkisu Shehu Maimota, the Permanent Secretary, Admin and General Services at the Cabinet Office, to serve in an  acting capacity pending the appointment of a substantive Head of Service. It notes that the outgoing Head of Service is directed to handover th...

WHATSAPP MAY EXIT NIGERIA OVER $220M FINE. (PHOTO).


 WhatsApp may exit Nigeria over $220m fine


One week after Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission imposed a $220 million fine on WhatsApp for a data privacy breach, the company may suspend its operations in the country due to further regulatory demands.


Sources close to the situation indicate that Meta, WhatsApp’s parent company, is contemplating the withdrawal of certain services from Nigeria.


Alongside the substantial fine, the FCCPC has directed WhatsApp to cease sharing user data with other Facebook companies and third parties without explicit user consent. The commission also requires WhatsApp to disclose details about its data collection practices and to enhance user control over data usage.


In response, a WhatsApp spokesperson emailed TechCabal, “We want to be clear that, technically, based on the order, it would be impossible to provide WhatsApp in Nigeria or globally.” The spokesperson criticized the FCCPC’s order as flawed, asserting that it inaccurately portrays WhatsApp’s data handling and would necessitate significant changes to the platform’s infrastructure.


Meta has not addressed the FCCPC’s allegations regarding user opt-out options from the 2021 privacy policy but maintains that the update does not involve sharing user data. The company’s privacy policy states, “While traditionally mobile carriers and operators store this information, we believe that keeping these records for two billion users would be both a privacy and security risk and we don’t do it.”


The potential suspension of WhatsApp could have significant repercussions for individuals and small businesses in Nigeria, many of whom rely on WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook for customer engagement.


Some privacy lawyers have questioned the FCCPC’s use of the National Data Protection Regulation as the foundation for the fine. Enacted in 2019 by the National Information Technology Development Agency, the NDPR is Nigeria’s principal data protection framework. Two unnamed lawyers have expressed doubts about the NDPR’s authority in such a high-stakes matter and questioned whether a government regulation can be deemed definitive in privacy issues.


Additionally, two unnamed government officials have raised concerns about the fairness of the $220 million fine. “We are too revenue-focused. What is the opportunity cost of $220 million in government coffers?” questioned an industry expert.


Should WhatsApp choose to halt its operations in Nigeria due to these demands, both the FCCPC and the Nigerian government will face significant scrutiny and consequences.

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