Tinubu Gives EFCC-Recovered Property to Data Protection Commission as New Abuja Headquarters

President Bola Tinubu has approved an Economic and Financial Crimes Commission-recovered property for use as the new headquarters of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission in Abuja.

The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, disclosed this on Monday while commissioning the facility, saying the decision would transform an asset recovered through anti-corruption efforts into a permanent public institution.

Tijani said the President approved the allocation after the NDPC raised concerns that its expanding responsibilities and growing international profile were not matched by a suitable permanent office.

“The President directed that a property of this size that was recovered from the work of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission be allocated to NDPC,” the minister said.

He described the development as an example of recovered assets being put back into productive use, noting that a property once linked to the consequences of corruption would now house an institution responsible for protecting Nigerians’ personal data and strengthening trust in the digital economy.

Tijani also disclosed that the NDPC experienced financial difficulties during its early years, including challenges paying salaries, before Tinubu provided direct financial support to keep the agency running until it could generate enough revenue to sustain its operations.

He noted that Tinubu signed the Nigeria Data Protection Act shortly after assuming office in 2023, giving the commission a stronger legal framework to protect Nigerians’ privacy and personal information. He added that the President later directed government ministries, departments and agencies to comply with data protection laws.

With Nigeria’s digital economy expanding and artificial intelligence becoming increasingly integrated into everyday life, Tijani called for stronger data governance, privacy protection and responsible use of technology.

Speaking at the commissioning, NDPC National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, Vincent Olatunji, said the commission received approval for the property from the EFCC in July 2025, while renovation work began in March 2026.

Olatunji said the agency had grown significantly since its establishment, moving from limited office space and funding challenges to an organisation with a wider national and international footprint. He said the NDPC had licensed 356 Data Protection Compliance Organisations, with the wider ecosystem contributing to more than 27,000 jobs over three years.

The commissioner added that the NDPC had generated more than N12 billion in revenue within three years, while the data privacy and protection ecosystem was valued at over N18 billion. He also disclosed that more than 66,000 Nigerians had enrolled in the agency’s virtual privacy academy and 99,370 people had benefited from 220 training programmes.

Olatunji further said the commission had established 17 data privacy clubs in universities, recruited 6,176 student ambassadors and reached more than 250,000 Nigerians through its public engagements. Representatives from 17 countries have also visited Nigeria to learn from the commission, while the NDPC has signed 28 memoranda of understanding with organisations and data protection authorities across countries including Canada, Morocco, Liberia, Kenya and Ghana.

The commission’s Head of People Management and Administration, Watira Fitto, said the new headquarters reflected the agency’s rapid expansion. She noted that the NDPC had operated from four locations within four years before moving into the new facility in Mbora District, Abuja, which has about 56 office spaces.