Nigeria has joined more than 60 global data protection and privacy regulators to establish stricter standards for artificial intelligence (AI)-generated imagery, in a move aimed at curbing deepfakes and non-consensual content.
This was disclosed in a statement issued on Wednesday in Abuja by Babatunde Bamigboye, Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations at the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC).
According to Bamigboye, the joint initiative was coordinated by the International Enforcement Cooperation Working Group (IEWG) of the Global Privacy Assembly.
He said the action followed growing global concerns over privacy risks linked to AI tools capable of generating highly realistic images and videos of identifiable individuals.
Among the concerns highlighted were the misuse of AI-powered tools to create non-consensual imagery, defamatory content and other harmful materials, particularly targeting children and vulnerable persons.
The statement urged organisations to implement robust safeguards, ensure transparency in AI deployment, establish effective mechanisms for content removal and strictly comply with applicable data protection laws.
The NDPC noted that the collaboration aligns with Nigeria’s broader efforts to promote the responsible and ethical use of AI technologies.
It recalled that Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, had led the development of the National AI Strategy to guide Nigeria’s approach to artificial intelligence.
The commission also referenced its General Application and Implementation Directive (GAID), which mandates privacy by design and privacy by default in the development and deployment of AI systems.
In the statement, Dr Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner of the NDPC, said Compliance Audit Returns under the Nigeria Data Protection Act would be deployed to assess and monitor responsible AI usage in the country.
The NDPC reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding the privacy rights of Nigerians while encouraging innovation in emerging technologies.