The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has aligned with sixty (60) Data Protection Authorities (DPAs) across the globe in endorsing the Joint Statement on AI-Generated Imagery and the Protection of Privacy.
The Joint Statement, coordinated by the International Enforcement Cooperation Working Group (IEWG) of the Global Privacy Assembly, reflects mounting global concerns over the privacy implications of Artificial Intelligence technologies capable of generating highly realistic images and videos of identifiable individuals.
The participating authorities expressed serious concerns about the misuse of AI-powered tools in producing non-consensual imagery, defamatory materials, and other harmful content—particularly targeting children and vulnerable persons. The statement therefore urges organisations to adopt robust safeguards, enhance transparency, establish effective content removal processes, and ensure full compliance with applicable data protection and privacy laws.
This collaborative action represents another significant step in Nigeria’s commitment to promoting the responsible development and deployment of Artificial Intelligence. It will be recalled that the Honourable Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. ‘Bosun Tijani, spearheaded the initiative for the development of Nigeria’s National AI Strategy to guide ethical and innovative AI adoption.
In furtherance of regulatory oversight, the NDPC earlier issued the General Application and Implementation Directive (GAID), which mandates privacy-by-design and privacy-by-default principles in the development and deployment of AI systems.
Additionally, the National Commissioner/CEO of the NDPC, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, has directed that Compliance Audit Returns (CAR) submitted under the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDP Act) by data controllers and processors of major importance will serve as a key mechanism for monitoring and evaluating responsible AI-driven data processing in Nigeria.
The NDPC remains resolute in its mandate to safeguard the privacy rights of Nigerians while fostering innovation within a secure and accountable digital ecosystem
