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NDPC @ 2025 Data Privacy Day, Calls for Collaboration on Awareness

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Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has called for increased collaboration to raise awareness and foster data privacy and protection across Nigeria.

NDPC @ 2025 Data Privacy Day, Calls for Collaboration on Awareness

Dr. Vincent Olatunji, national commissioner, NDPC

The call was made by Dr. Vincent Olatunji, national commissioner, NDPC, during an event marking the 2025 World Data Privacy Day in Lagos.

World Data Privacy Day, observed globally on January 28 every year, serves to highlight the importance of data privacy.

The theme for this year’s observance was “Respecting Privacy, Safeguarding Data, and Enabling Trust.”

Olatunji, who joined the event virtually, stressed that collective action was required to prioritise data privacy in order to attract foreign direct investment into Nigeria.

In his speech, Olatunji outlined the importance of protecting personal data, emphasising that everyone must understand how to safeguard their personal information.

“We need to know how to protect our personal information and data and make sure that we do not share personal information anyhow,” he said.

He also urged data controllers and processors to ensure the protection of data under their care.

Olatunji further discussed the necessity of developing a robust digital economy in the country, which depends on a comprehensive approach to data management, policies, and strategies.

“We all need to work together to make it happen,” he added.

Highlighting the Commission’s progress, Olatunji noted that over 10,000 people had been trained, to create 500,000 jobs in the Nigerian economy through data protection initiatives.

Mr. Tokunbo Smith, president, Data Knowledge Information Privacy Protection Initiative (DKIPPI), also spoke at the event, urging Nigerians to make full use of the Nigeria Data Protection Law, which was passed in June 2023.

Smith praised President Bola Tinubu for signing the law into effect, calling it a “day of freedom for Nigerians.”

He highlighted the law’s provision that empowers individuals to take legal action against anyone who misuses their personal data.

Smith also commended the NDPC for its efforts in training data protection officers and providing certification exams, encouraging Nigerians to leverage these opportunities to protect their data and explore career paths in data protection.

Mr. Fiyinfolu Okedara, guest speaker, further emphasised the need for continuous awareness of data privacy.

He explained that data protection should be an ongoing process, not just a one-time event.

Okedara urged both organisations and individuals to prioritise data privacy education year-round, rather than only on World Data Privacy Day.

During the panel discussion, Mr. Gbenga Sesan, executive director, Paradigm Initiative, stressed that respecting data privacy is a shared responsibility.

He urged people to safeguard their personal data by not writing it down carelessly and to foster trust by ensuring data protection is prioritised.

Mr. Olumide Babalola, another panelist, raised awareness about the future implications of data privacy, predicting a time when children might sue their parents for creating digital footprints for them.

He stressed that consent should always be obtained before adding someone to a WhatsApp group, as failing to do so would constitute a breach of privacy.

The event aimed to foster greater awareness of data privacy and promote best practices among individuals and organisations, ensuring that data protection remains a priority in Nigeria’s evolving digital landscape.


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OpenAI CEO Rejects $97.4Bn Takeover Bid from Elon Musk

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Sam Altman, chief executive of ChatGPT-owner OpenAI
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Sam Altman, chief executive of ChatGPT-owner OpenAI, has firmly declared the company “not for sale” following a $97.4bn (£78.4bn) takeover bid from a consortium led by Elon Musk.

OpenAI CEO Rejects $97.4Bn Takeover Bid from Elon Musk

Elon Musk

Speaking at the AI Action Summit in Paris, Altman emphasised OpenAI’s mission to develop AGI (artificial general intelligence) for the benefit of humanity.

Marc Toberoff, attorney for Elon Musk, confirmed the bid submission on Monday.

In response, Altman humorously offered to buy Twitter for $9.74 billion on Musk’s platform.

Unlike many tech giants, OpenAI is not publicly traded but operates through a complex partnership between non-profit and for-profit entities.

Musk aims to return OpenAI to its non-profit roots, despite owning a rival firm, xAI.

Christie Pitts, a tech investor, expressed scepticism about Musk’s intentions, noting his competitive interests.

Altman echoed this sentiment, suggesting Musk’s move disregards OpenAI’s mission.

Altman, who holds no stock in OpenAI, advocates transforming the organisation into a fully for-profit company to raise more funds for AI research.

Although the board has the final say, the $97.4bn offer falls short of OpenAI’s previous $157bn valuation and rumoured $300bn in future funding talks.

Toberoff stated the consortium might increase their bid. Meanwhile, OpenAI is collaborating with Oracle, a Japanese investment firm, and an Emirati sovereign wealth fund on “The Stargate Project,” a $500 billion AI infrastructure initiative announced by President Donald Trump.

 

 

 

 


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Adobe Launches AI Video Tool to Compete with OpenAI

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Adobe yesterday released the first public version of an artificial intelligence tool that can generate video clips and revealed how much it will charge, but said it will not set pricing for major users such as studios until later this year.

The Firefly Video Model, as Adobe is calling the service, will compete against Sora, a model developed by ChatGPT creator OpenAI, and startup Runway, both of which currently offer video-generation services. Facebook owner Meta Platforms has also developed a video-generation AI model but has not given a timeline for when it will be released.

Adobe’s model differs from its rivals because it is geared toward generating clips that will fit into how film and television studios use Premiere Pro, its flagship video editing software.

To that end, many of the features that Adobe is emphasizing revolve around feeding existing shots into the video model and asking it to generate clips that fix or expand on shots that were taken on a real production set but that did not come out quite right.

Adobe said the service will generate five-second clips at 1080p resolution. While that is shorter than the clips of up to 20 seconds generated by OpenAI’s service, Adobe executives said the majority of individual clips in most productions are only three seconds.

Adobe said a user can generate 20 clips per month for $9.99 and 70 clips for $29.99. That compares with 50 videos for $20 per month with OpenAI’s plan at lower resolution and a $200 OpenAI plan that can handle longer, higher resolution videos.

Adobe is also working on a “Premium” pricing plan for studios and other high-volume video users and will release those pricing details later this year. Alexandru Costin, Adobe’s vice president of generative AI, said the company is working to generate 4K video and will remain focused on quality rather than longer clips.

“We actually think that great motion, great structure, great definition scheme, making the actual clip look like it was film, is more important than making a longer clip that’s unusable,” Costin told Reuters.

 


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GSMA Launches Innovation Fund to Boost AI Solutions in Emerging Markets

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GSMA Innovation Fund for Impactful AI has been unveiled, marking a significant initiative aimed at empowering small and growing enterprises in low-and middle-income countries (LMICs) across Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific.

GSMA Launches Innovation Fund to Boost AI Solutions in Emerging Markets

This fund is designed to fos­ter AI-driven innovations that tackle critical socio-economic and climate challenges, helping underserved regions unlock the transformative potential of ar­tificial intelligence.

Artificial intelligence has proven its ability to address pressing global issues, from pre­cision agriculture and renew­able energy to remote health­care and financial inclusion.

Yet, LMICs remain under­served in funding and resourc­es, with only a small percentage of global grants directed toward locally-developed AI solutions.

Despite the growth of AI-driven technologies, these advancements are often not tailored to the unique needs of local populations in LMICs.

The GSMA Innovation Fund seeks to close this gap by iden­tifying, testing, and scaling impactful AI solutions that are contextually relevant and capa­ble of delivering measurable socio-economic and climate benefits.

In partnership with the UK Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO), the GSMA Innovation Fund provides a comprehensive sup­port package to selected enter­prises. Key benefits include:

Grant Funding: Ranging from £100,000 to £250,000 for projects lasting 15–18 months.

Tailored Venture Support: Guidance to strengthen busi­ness models and improve scal­ability.

Partnership Opportunities: Facilitation of collaborations with mobile operators, public sector organizations, and other stakeholders.

Peer Learning: Platforms for exchanging knowledge and best practices with other innovators.

Visibility and Exposure: Access to GSMA’s global events, publications, and online plat­forms to connect with potential investors and partners.

 


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