Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has commenced a formal investigation into the operations of global e-commerce platform, Temu, over suspected violations of Nigeria’s data protection and privacy laws.
Gatekeepers News reports that in a statement released on Monday, the commission disclosed that its National Commissioner and Chief Executive Officer, Vincent Olatunji, authorised an immediate probe into the company’s data processing practices following mounting concerns about how personal information of Nigerian users is collected, stored, and utilised.
The directive, communicated by the Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations at the NDPC, Babatunde Bamigboye, stated that Temu’s activities may contravene key provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023.
The commission explained that the investigation was prompted by red flags surrounding online surveillance, lack of transparency, accountability gaps, excessive data collection, inadequate duty of care, and the handling of cross-border data transfers.
Preliminary findings revealed that Temu processes personal data belonging to an estimated 12.7 million Nigerians, while recording about 70 million daily active users worldwide, raising concerns about the scale of potential exposure and data misuse risks.
NDPC warned that organisations and third-party data processors acting on behalf of digital platforms could also be held legally accountable if they fail to ensure full compliance with Nigeria’s data protection framework. The commission stressed that any entity found culpable would face appropriate sanctions under the law.
The probe comes amid growing scrutiny of foreign digital platforms operating within Nigeria’s fast-expanding e-commerce space, particularly over concerns of consumer privacy, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance.
Earlier this month, precisely on February 5, the NDPC entered into a strategic partnership with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) through a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening inter-agency collaboration on data protection enforcement.
The partnership is expected to enhance regulatory oversight, improve compliance monitoring, and ensure stronger safeguards for Nigerians’ personal data in the digital economy.
The NDPC reiterated its commitment to enforcing data protection laws and safeguarding the privacy rights of Nigerians, assuring the public that the outcome of the investigation would be made known in due course.
