The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has teamed with MasterCard to enroll all of the company's Nigerian workers in its flagship training program, the Virtual Privacy Academy (VPA).
The initiative aims to improve compliance, advance ethical data practices, and establish digital trust across Africa's growing digital economy.
The on-boarding training goes beyond broad awareness, providing professionals with practical knowledge of personal data governance, lawful processing, cyber security hygiene, and upcoming regulatory obligations.
This, according to the company, reflects MasterCard's commitment to making privacy and ethical data use a cornerstone of its Nigerian business.
Mark Elliott, division president for Africa at MasterCard, described privacy as “a core pillar of digital trust,” stressing that enrolling all Nigerian staff in the VPA aligns the company with West African country’s digital rights agenda.
Derek Ho, deputy chief Privacy, AI and data responsibility officer at MasterCard, added that the collaboration is “scaling privacy knowledge in a way that is both practical and impactful,” ensuring professionals are better equipped to make ethical, informed decisions.
Dr. Vincent Olatunji, national commissioner/CEO of the NDPC, welcomed the partnership as a real-time solution to strengthen Nigeria’s data protection ecosystem.
He noted that the VPA is not limited to financial services, but is designed for professionals across industries, with the goal of building a compliance culture that reduces risks and strengthens public trust.
The move comes amid rising concerns over data breaches in Nigeria.
Against this backdrop, the VPA provides a critical tools to empower professionals to uphold ethical data practices in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
In addition, MasterCard announced plans to extend access to the VPA beyond its employees to include vendors and suppliers, in line with NDPC guidelines, further broadening the impact of the initiative.
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