Empowering Nigerian Youths for a Secure Digital Future: Launch of YDPAT Program
EMPOWERING NIGERIAN YOUTHS FOR A SECURE DIGITAL FUTURE:
Launch Of YDPAT Program
Today marks a significant milestone in our journey to secure the future of Nigeria’s youth in the digital space.
I was honoured to officially launch the Youth Data Protection Awareness and Training (YDPAT) program at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja. This initiative is the product of a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the Federal Ministry of Youth Development and the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) on 15th September 2024.
As Nigeria’s digital economy continues to grow rapidly, so do the risks—especially for young people who are increasingly exposed to identity theft, data breaches, and other cyber vulnerabilities. Despite having over 500,000 data controllers, the country has only about 5,000 certified Data Protection Officers (DPOs). This gap presents not just a security risk, but also a lost opportunity for youth employment and digital inclusion.
YDPAT is our bold response to this challenge. Through this program, we are training and certifying 5,000 young Nigerians in data protection. But we’re not stopping there. We are working with industry leaders to create job and internship opportunities for every trained youth, ensuring that they don’t just acquire skills but also get real pathways to employment.
The program is structured in three steps: training (onsite and online) in two states per geopolitical zone; certification for top-performing trainees, preparing them for roles as certified DPOs; and post-training engagement for continuous development and meaningful impact across communities.
So, if you are a young Nigerian, this is your moment. Don’t be left behind in the future of work and the digital economy. Apply now via ydpat.fmyd.gov.ng and take the first step toward becoming a data protection professional.
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