Kano State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Murtala Sule Garo, has called for stronger safeguards to protect citizens’ personal information as government institutions increasingly adopt digital systems to deliver public services.
Garo made the call in Abuja while representing Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf at a two-day Implementation Workshop on the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDP Act) 2023 and the General Application and Implementation Directive (GAID) 2025 for state governments.
The programme, held at the Nigerian Army Conference Centre and Suites, was jointly organised by the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC).
The workshop brought together representatives of state governments to examine practical approaches to implementing the country’s data protection framework.
The Deputy Governor said the issue of data protection went beyond mere compliance with legislation, noting that government institutions handle sensitive personal information relating to healthcare, education, taxation, social protection, civil registration, employment and security.
According to him, citizens who provide their personal information to government should have confidence that such data would be collected, stored, shared and used in accordance with appropriate legal and security safeguards.
“Technology should make government more efficient and accessible without compromising the fundamental rights of our people,”
Garo said the protection of personal information was particularly important as Kano State advances its digital transformation agenda.
He noted that public confidence in digital government would depend largely on how responsibly government institutions manage citizens’ information and protect their privacy.
The Deputy Governor also stressed the importance of the human element in data protection, saying political leaders, permanent secretaries, heads of Ministries, Departments and Agencies, technology professionals, legal officers, data protection officers and other public servants all had responsibilities in ensuring the security of personal information.
He urged government institutions to move beyond policies and documentation and focus on practical measures, including staff training, access control, data retention, breach management and responsible information sharing.
The workshop also provided an avenue for state governments to identify challenges in implementing the NDP Act and GAID 2025, share experiences and develop approaches that reflect the realities of public-sector operations.
Garo reaffirmed Kano State’s readiness to collaborate with the Nigerian Governors’ Forum and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission in promoting responsible data governance and protecting citizens’ information.
Members of the Kano delegation included the Director-General of the Kano State Information Technology Development Agency (KASITDA), Dr. Bashir Muzzakkar, and the Special Adviser to the Governor on Digital Economy, Yusuf Ibrahim Sharada.
He said as Kano continues to deploy technology to improve public service delivery, protecting the personal information entrusted to government institutions must remain a critical component of the state’s digital transformation agenda.