Landmark Casebook on Privacy and Data Protection in Nigeria to be Unveiled by Leading Scholars

Renowned privacy law experts Olumide Babalola and Dr. Uchenna Nnawuchi are set to launch a groundbreaking academic resource titled “Casebook on Privacy and Data Protection in Nigeria.” The unveiling will take place in a virtual event scheduled for Monday, 4th August 2025 at 2:00 PM WAT, hosted live on Zoom.

This casebook represents a pioneering effort in Nigerian legal literature by compiling key judicial decisions on privacy and data protection from Nigeria’s independence to the present day. It provides an essential and comprehensive reference for legal practitioners, academics, policymakers, and regulators seeking to understand the development, significance, and contemporary issues surrounding privacy law and data protection in Nigeria.

The book will be critically reviewed by Professor Adedeji Adekunle, SAN, a distinguished constitutional law expert and former Director-General of the Nigerian Advanced Institute of Legal Studies. According to the authors, Olumide and Uchenna, this publication fills a long-standing void in Nigerian legal scholarship and aims to support both academic research and practical application in this rapidly evolving area of law.

Event Details:

• Date: Monday, 4th August 2025

• Time: 2:00 PM WAT

• Venue: Online via Zoom (registration required; link provided upon registration)

The event is open to legal professionals, scholars, students, privacy advocates, and interested members of the public. Participation is free of charge, but prior registration is necessary.

How to Register:

Register here for the Zoom event

This casebook is expected to become an indispensable tool for anyone involved in privacy and data protection law in Nigeria, marking a significant milestone in the country’s legal literature.

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

OLUMIDE BABALOLA

Olumide Babalola – the pioneer Chair of NBA Data Protection Committee – is a PhD researcher at the University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom and adjunct lecturer at Lead City University, Ibadan. He is a legal scholar, and a distinguished privacy and data protection lawyer.

With a robust academic and professional background, Olumide is at the forefront of digital rights advocacy, privacy law, and data protection in Nigeria. He is a member of the International Data Policy Committee (IDPC) of CODATA, a global body dedicated to responsible data governance and the Chair, Nigerian Bar Association Data Protection Committee.

Olumide holds a Master’s degree in International Commercial Law with ICT & Commerce from the University of Reading, United Kingdom. His ongoing PhD research at the University of Portsmouth focuses on the concept of privacy within the jurisprudence of Nigerian courts. His academic work is closely intertwined with his pioneering efforts in the Nigerian legal system, where he has litigated landmark privacy and data protection cases up to the Supreme Court of Nigeria and the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice.

One of Olumide’s most significant legal contributions was handling the first Court of Appeal decision on data protection in Nigeria in the 2021 case Digital Rights Lawyers Initiative v. National Identity Management Commission(2021) LPELR – 55623(CA). This landmark case defined the relationship between data protection and the constitutional right to privacy in Nigeria and has since become a central reference point in legal discussions surrounding data protection.

An accomplished author, Olumide has published several authoritative books on privacy and data protection law, including Casebook on Data Protection (2020), Privacy and Data Protection Law in Nigeria (2021), Digital Rights in Nigeria: Through the Cases (2022), Emerging Jurisprudence on Privacy and Data Protection in Nigeria (2023), and Annotated Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023. His academic work has been featured in prestigious peer-reviewed journals, including the Computer Law & Security Review, International Data Privacy Law, and The Journal of Data Protection & Privacy.

Olumide’s expertise is globally recognized. In 2021, he was invited to join the International Network of Privacy Law Professionals (INPLP), an exclusive membership network of privacy law experts. In 2023, he co-presented a paper at the University of Oxford on the subject of privacy, technology, and postcoloniality in Nigeria’s legal regime for data governance, further solidifying his international reputation.

He has contributed to advancing privacy law education in Nigeria by co-founding The Privacy Academy, an educational initiative that has trained hundreds of Nigerians in the emerging fields of privacy and data protection. In addition, he is the convener of PrivCon Nigeria, an annual privacy and data protection conference that gathers industry experts and stakeholders in Lagos to discuss emerging trends and challenges in the field.

He also co-founded the Digital Rights Lawyers Initiative (DRLI), a civil society organization focused on litigation, advocacy, and research around digital rights.

Olumide’s passion for privacy and data protection has made him a regular speaker at local and international conferences. His role in leading a 2021 research project on the independence and efficiency of Data Protection Authorities in Africa further underscores his commitment to advancing data governance on the continent.

As the first Nigerian lawyer to litigate data protection cases up to the Supreme Court and the ECOWAS Community Court, Olumide Babalola continues to shape and influence the legal landscape of privacy and data protection in Nigeria, and his work serves as a model for legal practitioners and privacy advocates across Africa. In 2024, he founded the Data Privacy Lawyers Association of Nigeria and in 2025, he was appointed Chair, NBA Data Protection Committee.

UCHENNA A. NNAWUCHI 

Uchenna A. Nnawuchi, Ph.D., FCIArb (UK)
Academic Researcher | Legal Scholar | AI & Data Governance Specialist

Dr Uchenna A. Nnawuchi is a legal scholar and barrister of the Supreme Court of Nigeria, whose
interdisciplinary work explores the evolving relationship between law, technology, and fundamental rights.

He holds a PhD in Artificial Intelligence Governance from Middlesex University, where his thesis, AWARDED without corrections, offered a normative reconstruction of the right to explanation in machine LEARNING systems.

Dr Nnawuchi currently serves as an Academic Researcher with the ALERT Group at Middlesex University and as a Research Fellow at the Africa Digital Rights Hub. His work contributes to the development of inclusive, rights-based regulatory frameworks for emerging technologies, particularly within the context of
the Global South.

His research has appeared in several leading academic outlets, including AIRe: Journal of
AI Law and Regulation, Discover Computing, and Springer’s Lecture Notes in Computer Science series. He is also co-author of the forthcoming Casebook on Data Protection and Privacy in Nigeria (Noetico Repertum Inc., 2025)—
the first of its kind dedicated to the Nigerian legal context.

He has presented his work at a number of international conferences, including the 3rd World Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, and Data Science (Rome), the 23rd EPIA International Conference on Artificial Intelligence (Portugal), and the 6th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence and Smart Environments (Morocco).

At Middlesex, Dr Nnawuchi has
been actively engaged in interdisciplinary AI research networks and is particularly committed to integrating principles of equity, transparency, and accountability into the design and governance of intelligent systems.

He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (UK), a distinction he attained at the age of 26, making him the youngest to do so. He is also a member of the British Computer Society. Dr Nnawuchi remains devoted to advancing public interest scholarship that bridges legal inquiry, technological development, and human-centred values.