Nigeria’s data watchdog NDPC warns betting operators over “massive” user data volumes, urges tighter privacy safeguards

Speaking at a workshop for the Association of Nigerian Bookmakers, NDPC chief Vincent Olatunji said betting platforms collectively serve “no fewer than 60 million Nigerians” monthly and must strengthen compliance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 to protect customers’ rights and avoid sanctions.

Nigeria’s Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has flagged the scale of sensitive personal data handled by gaming and sports-betting companies and urged operators to strengthen privacy safeguards to stay compliant with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDP Act) 2023. The call was made by NDPC’s National Commissioner/CEO Dr Vincent Olatunji during a one-day workshop for gaming and sports betting operators under the Association of Nigerian Bookmakers (ANB).

In his remarks, Olatunji described bookmakers as “data controllers and processors of major importance,” noting that no fewer than 60 million Nigerians use their platforms monthly—a scale that raises the stakes for cybersecurity and privacy governance. He highlighted how data-intensive the sector has become, pointing to routine processes such as customer onboarding, identity verification, payment processing and marketing communications, all of which involve collecting and processing personal information.

NDPC said operators should strengthen compliance with the NDP Act and ensure that customers’ rights are adequately protected, while also stressing the business case: better compliance can improve trust and confidence, whereas non-compliance can damage the sector and trigger enforcement consequences.

The regulator framed the engagement as part of a broader “sector-by-sector” strategy to raise awareness and tighten compliance across industries that process large datasets. For Nigeria’s betting market—where user registration, KYC checks, and transactions generate continuous data trails—the message is clear: privacy and security are now core operational requirements, not optional add-ons.