The Nigeria Data Protection Commission has initiated an investigation into the operations of international e-commerce platform Temu over suspected breaches of Nigeria’s Data Protection Act.
The directive was issued by the Commission’s National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, Vincent Olatunji, following mounting concerns about the company’s data processing practices in Nigeria.
According to the regulator, the probe was triggered by issues surrounding online surveillance, transparency in data handling, compliance with data minimisation principles, accountability standards, and the management of cross-border data transfers. The Commission is also examining whether the platform has met its statutory duty of care to Nigerian data subjects.
Preliminary assessments indicate that Temu processes personal information belonging to an estimated 12.7 million users in Nigeria, while reportedly maintaining about 70 million daily active users worldwide.
The NDPC warned that data processors acting on behalf of data controllers could also face sanctions if they fail to verify that such controllers are compliant with the Nigeria Data Protection Act. The Commission stressed that liability under the law extends beyond primary controllers to include third-party processors engaged in handling personal data.
The investigation is expected to determine the extent of Temu’s compliance with Nigeria’s data protection framework and whether enforcement measures will be necessary.