Abuja, Nigeria – July 18, 2026 – In a significant stride towards bolstering data protection compliance and safeguarding fundamental rights within Nigeria’s burgeoning digital economy, the second phase of the Legal Basis Project (2.0) has been officially unveiled. This initiative aims to bridge the critical gap between policy intent and practical implementation of the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDP Act) 2023, ensuring robust security and respect for the rights of data subjects.
The launch occurred at a Regulatory Engagement Session in Abuja, convening a broad spectrum of key stakeholders. This included prominent regulators from the public sector, alongside leading technology and legal experts. Notable attendees represented the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), the Medical Laboratory and Science Council of Nigeria, the Nigeria Revenue Service (NRS), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), and the Federal Ministry of Justice.
This collaborative effort, spearheaded by Tech Hive Advisory with support from Meta, builds upon the successful completion of phase one. Stakeholders reaffirmed their commitment to establishing a comprehensive framework that ensures accountability for both data processors and regulators, moving beyond mere consent to provide effective protection for individuals. The Legal Basis Project, an innovative data protection campaign, was initiated to demystify and operationalise the six lawful bases stipulated under the NDP Act 2023: Consent, Contract Necessity, Legal Obligation, Legitimate Interest, Vital Interest, and Public Interest.
Dr. Ololade Shyllon, Meta Director for Privacy & Data Policy in Africa, the Middle East, and Turkiye, highlighted the project’s global relevance, noting its launch coincided with a mature global discourse on the limitations of consent as a sole data protection mechanism. She commended the project’s impact, reporting that phase one’s platform attracted 4,360 unique visitors from 72 countries, garnered over 1.58 million video views, and reached an estimated 1.6 million individuals across digital channels within six months. Shyllon pointed out a crucial finding from phase one: “knowing is not the same thing as doing,” indicating that while users could identify critical legal bases, the practical documentation and implementation within a compliant architecture often lagged.
Ridwan Oloyede, Emerging Technologies and Policy Lead and Co-founder of Tech Hive Advisory Africa, underscored the transition from awareness to execution. “With phase one of the project completed, there was a need to move from understanding the law to implementing it,” he stated. Legal Basis 2.0 is designed to facilitate this transition by offering advanced tools for full compliance document generation, guided assessments, consent quality scoring, audit capabilities, and structured regulatory engagement. The updated platform now includes an automated suite of compliance tools, such as a Legal Basis Audit Tool, a guided RoPA Builder, and an LIA Builder. Further enhancements include a Basis Switching Checker, a Privacy Notice Generator, an interactive Legal Basis Finder, and a conversational Chatbot named Paddy, all aimed at providing immediate compliance guidance to organisations navigating the evolving regulatory landscape.
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