Legal and Regulatory Protection of Privacy Rights and Data Tackled at 3-Day Conference

Stories by Steve Aya

Privacy rights and the protection of personal data of individuals, formed the main fulcrum of discussions on the future of digital rights in Nigeria and across Africa. The gathering was the 7th Privacy Symposium Africa (PSA 2025) themed , “Redefining Privacy, Power, and Trust in Africa’s Digital Future” convened a wide cross-section of stakeholders: regulators, policy-makers, legal experts, civil society, tech-industry leaders and media professionals, which took place from Wednesday, November 26 through Friday, November 28, 2025 at the Marriot Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos. 

Organised by the civil-society group Unwanted Witness in partnership with allied bodies including the Data Privacy Lawyers Association of Nigeria (DPLAN), the symposium sought to map out a rights-centred digital governance framework for Africa’s accelerating digital transformation. 

Over the three days, participants tackled some of the continent’s most pressing digital dilemmas: data protection, privacy, accountability, emerging technologies, and the balance between security and individual rights. Panel discussions, master-classes and “Let’s Talk” sessions were packed, reflecting the urgency of confronting issues such as biometric data, digital identity systems, surveillance, misinformation, and data-driven discrimination. 

Speakers came from across Africa and beyond including regulators, privacy professionals, legal scholars, and representatives of media organisations. Among them were privacy officers, data-protection advocates and academics specialising in tech law, as well as journalists and civil-society activists. The diversity of voices underscored a shared recognition: digital rights are no longer a niche concern, but central to Nigeria’s and Africa’s broader development mission. 

One of the landmark outcomes of the symposium was the call for stronger, more enforceable data-protection regimes, with both civil society and legal actors pledging greater collaboration. The partnership with DPLAN was highlighted as particularly important signalling a determination to ensure the voice of the legal community is heard loud and clear in shaping the digital-rights architecture of it’s clients, particularly that of children as well stated by the Keynote Speaker Dr Kemi Omotobora, of the Faculty of Law, University of Lagos.

Furthermore, the Conference emphasised the need for inclusive digital governance: privacy protections that safeguard the vulnerable, protect children, and respect human rights, while enabling innovation. Many delegates agreed that Africa’s digital future must be built on trust, transparency, and equity, not just on infrastructure and market growth. 

As the symposium drew to a close, participants expressed cautious optimism. There was a shared sense that 2025, a moment of rapid technological acceleration, rising AI adoption, and expanding digital services, could mark a turning point. That if the commitments made in Ikeja are translated into policy, legislation, and on-the-ground practices, Nigeria could soon emerge as a regional leader in digital rights, ensuring that as the country embraces the digital age, its citizens do not lose their fundamental freedoms.