The emerging digital economy in Nigeria: sacrificing the protection of privacy and data of consumers on the altar of economic growth

Businesses are moving online, services are being delivered via the internet. With the continued advancement of technologically fuelled enterprise, Nigerians and the Nigerian government face the challenge of reimagining the way work, school and business transactions are carried on. Consequently, individuals share a considerable amount of data, a large part of which are private. This raises social issues and legal questions on the use, management, and disposal of such data. This article dissects the interplay between protecting human rights to privacy on the one hand and promoting business and economic growth on the other. The author examines the legal concerns of a growing digital economy concerning the right of individuals to privacy. This includes examining Nigeria’s newest data protection law, the Nigerian Data Protection Regulation. Comparative analysis is drawn to explore emerging privacy and data protection trends across many economies, particularly in the COVID19 pandemic.