Olumide Babalola Writes NUC, Suggests Introduction Of Data Protection Law Into The Law Studies Curriculum

Olumide Babalola, a prolific and digital rights lawyer, has
written the Nigerian Universities Commission, NUC, advising the
introduction of data protection law into the law faculties
curriculum.

In a letter dated July 15, 2021, addressed to the Chairman of
the Commission, Prof. Ayo Ojo, and the Secretary, Prof Abubakar
Adamu Rasheed, Babalola suggested the data protection may be
introduced under human rights or ICT Law.

Read the letter below

Dear Sir,

INTRODUCTION OF DATA PROTECTION INTO THE LAW FACULTIES’
CURRICULUM.

I am Olumide Babalola, a lawyer, privacy professional and author
of Casebook on Data Protection – modestly reputed as Nigeria’s only
law textbook on data protection.

Upon Nigeria’s ratification of the ECOWAS Supplementary Act on
Personal Data Protection in 2010 and particularly the release of
Nigeria Data Protection Regulation in January 2019, data protection
effectively became one of the practices areas for legal
practitioners in Nigeria (albeit the practice area is 51 years old
in Europe having surfaced in the Hessen State of Germany in
1970).

It is worthy of note that, data protection is now even studied
as a stand-alone course in many universities around the world. (See
the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP)
Privacy and Data Protection in Academic: A Global Guide to
Curricula’).

It is my respectful suggestion that, in our universities,
students could be introduced to data protection under human rights
(it is an offshoot of fundamental right to privacy) or ICT law (the
increased utility of technology led to emergence of the first
modern data protection law in the 70s.) or intellectual property
(personal data is viewed as an intangible property in some
jurisdictions). Moreso, the Federal Government’s proposed digital
economy drive could do with more lawyers who understand data
protection especially when taught from their undergraduate
days.

From the foregoing, I respectfully urge your Commission to look
into this and further align our universities with international
standards in this regard.
I thank you for your audience.

Olumide Babalola, a prolific and digital rights lawyer, has
written the Nigerian Universities Commission, NUC, advising the
introduction of data protection law into the law faculties
curriculum.

In a letter dated July 15, 2021, addressed to the Chairman of
the Commission, Prof. Ayo Ojo, and the Secretary, Prof Abubakar
Adamu Rasheed, Babalola suggested the data protection may be
introduced under human rights or ICT Law.

Read the letter below

Dear Sir,

INTRODUCTION OF DATA PROTECTION INTO THE LAW FACULTIES’
CURRICULUM.

I am Olumide Babalola, a lawyer, privacy professional and author
of Casebook on Data Protection – modestly reputed as Nigeria’s only
law textbook on data protection.

Upon Nigeria’s ratification of the ECOWAS Supplementary Act on
Personal Data Protection in 2010 and particularly the release of
Nigeria Data Protection Regulation in January 2019, data protection
effectively became one of the practices areas for legal
practitioners in Nigeria (albeit the practice area is 51 years old
in Europe having surfaced in the Hessen State of Germany in
1970).

It is worthy of note that, data protection is now even studied
as a stand-alone course in many universities around the world. (See
the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP)
Privacy and Data Protection in Academic: A Global Guide to
Curricula’).

It is my respectful suggestion that, in our universities,
students could be introduced to data protection under human rights
(it is an offshoot of fundamental right to privacy) or ICT law (the
increased utility of technology led to emergence of the first
modern data protection law in the 70s.) or intellectual property
(personal data is viewed as an intangible property in some
jurisdictions). Moreso, the Federal Government’s proposed digital
economy drive could do with more lawyers who understand data
protection especially when taught from their undergraduate
days.

From the foregoing, I respectfully urge your Commission to look
into this and further align our universities with international
standards in this regard.
I thank you for your audience.