The National Data Protection Commission, (NDPC), has confirmed that it is in active talks with Meta and WhatsApp to resolve the problems that pushed the companies to threaten leaving Nigeria.Â
This update came on Monday during a data protection workshop held in Abuja and organized by the NDPC in partnership with Mastercard.
The conflict began after the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, (FCCPC), raised concerns that Meta had broken Nigeria’s competition and data protection rules several times.
Following these accusations, the FCCPC warned that sanctions could follow.
In response, Meta reportedly threatened to pull its services out of Nigeria if those actions were enforced.
According to NDPC Commissioner Dr. Vincent Olatunji, the Commission is approaching the situation with the goal of partnership, not confrontation.
He explained that the focus is on finding solutions that satisfy both parties and prevent a complete fallout.
Olatunji also noted that political avenues exist to handle such disagreements, and he remains hopeful that both sides will soon reach a workable deal.
The Abuja workshop where this update was shared focused on training data officers in carrying out Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIA).
This training is part of a broader effort to improve data handling and privacy in Nigeria.
While the NDPC continues working to strengthen local data protection standards, it also recognizes the importance of keeping major digital players like Meta and WhatsApp in the Nigerian market to serve millions of users.
