NDPC LAUNCHES FORENSIC DATA PRIVACY INVESTIGATION INTO UNILAG, LOTUS BANK, AND HACKERBELLA. (PHOTO).

 NDPC LAUNCHES FORENSIC DATA PRIVACY INVESTIGATION INTO UNILAG, LOTUS BANK, AND HACKERBELLA

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) is investigating the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Lotus Bank, and Hackerbella Ltd. This probe follows complaints that student data was used to open bank accounts without permission. The data sharing was reportedly part of a "Smart ID Card" project that mixed student IDs with bank cards.

National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer NDPC, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, ordered a full review of how this student information was collected and shared. Investigators are checking if the organizations followed the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023. They will look into the companies' privacy notices, data security, and whether they used automated systems to score or profile students.

Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulation  of NDPC, Babatunde Bamigboye, in a statement notes that the investigation will also check if the institutions properly assessed risks before using the data. The NDPC wants to make sure student rights were protected and that the data was not kept longer than necessary. All three organizations will be closely examined to find out who was responsible for the privacy breach.

NDPC reminded all institutions of learning that handling student and staff data requires high security and fairness. The commission warned other educational institutions in Nigeria to fix their privacy practices immediately. Schools that do not comply with these data protection laws will face strict legal actions