By Ayomide Otitoju
The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), led by National Commissioner and CEO Dr. Vincent Olatunji, continued its official visit to France with engagements focused on data governance and sovereignty safeguards. The delegation met with key French organisations, including IN Groupe, Thales, Docaposte, the Digital and Artificial Intelligence Mission, the Directorate for Economic Diplomacy, and Université Paris 1 (Panthéon-Sorbonne).
During the meetings, IN Groupe shared insights into its 500-year organisational evolution, while Thales showcased its identity, cybersecurity, and aviation digital services supporting start-ups. The NDPC team also visited Station F, Paris’ renowned start-up hub hosting over 1,000 start-ups and 3,000 workers, gaining firsthand exposure to innovation-driven digital ecosystems.
Docaposte highlighted its postal, identity, and financial services as a model for systemic trust, privacy culture, and data sovereignty. The Economic Diplomacy office provided perspectives on intergovernmental information sharing and AI adoption.
At Université Paris 1 (Panthéon-Sorbonne), academics leading the postgraduate Data Protection Law programme, Dr. William Gille and Dr. Irène Bouhadan, offered insights into regulating complex data-processing value chains, covering Data Law, Digital Administration, and Open Government.
Dr. Olatunji assured all partners of prompt follow-up actions to strengthen collaboration and deliver mutual benefits. Laura Marie, coordinator of the French delegation, commended the progress of the bilateral sessions and reaffirmed her team’s commitment to continued cooperation.
