Abuja, Nigeria – Nigeria’s Data Protection Commission (NDPC) has issued a public warning to content creators who film or photograph unsuspecting members of the public and post the footage on social media without their knowledge or permission. The agency said such actions violate citizens’ privacy rights under Nigerian law.
Okay News reports that the warning was signed by Babatunde Bamigboye, Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations at the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, which is the government body responsible for enforcing data privacy rules in the country.
The Commission cited a specific case involving a content creator who regularly films unsuspecting people on roadsides in Lagos, Nigeria’s most populous city, for use in an online reality show format.
“Processing the images of people, in this circumstance, requires consent unless the creator can justify her actions under other lawful bases of data processing,” the Commission stated. It added that individuals recorded in such settings have no reasonable expectation that their images would be captured and shared globally by a stranger.
The agency said preliminary findings show that such conduct amounts to a deliberate invasion of privacy and serves no legitimate public interest. It referenced Section 37 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution and the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023 as the legal basis for its position.
Vincent Olatunji, the Commission’s chief executive, has directed social media platforms including TikTok, X and Meta to strengthen enforcement of their community guidelines to prevent harm caused by unlawful use of personal data.
Nigeria’s content creation industry has expanded rapidly in recent years, with creators on YouTube generating more than 20 billion views annually. The sector was valued at 50 billion naira (approximately $31.2 million) in 2025, making it the third-largest entertainment industry in the country.
 has issued a public warning to content creators who film or photograph unsuspecting members of the public and post the footage on social media without their knowledge or permission.){kind=link}