The Lagos State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr. Lawal Pedro, SAN, has reaffirmed the State Government’s commitment to strengthening privacy and data protection safeguards, particularly as technology continues to transform governance and everyday life.

Pedro gave the assurance in a goodwill message delivered by his Senior Special Assistant, Mr. Olamide Ibrahim, who represented him at the 8th Annual Privacy Conference, PrivCon 2026, held recently at the Civic Centre, Victoria Island, Lagos.

The conference, themed “Privacy Architecture: #EveryBrickCounts,” brought together judicial officers, legal practitioners, regulators, data protection professionals, technology leaders and policymakers to deliberate on emerging privacy and data protection challenges in Nigeria.

The AG noted that privacy goes beyond regulatory compliance, describing it as fundamental to human dignity, autonomy and freedom. He stated that while the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 provides an important legal framework for the protection of personal data, its effectiveness ultimately depends on responsible implementation by government institutions, businesses and individuals.

He particularly emphasised the responsibility of government to protect personal information entrusted to public institutions, noting that citizens have a right to expect that their data would be collected, processed and safeguarded responsibly.

Pedro also highlighted the increasingly important role of the Judiciary in interpreting and giving practical effect to privacy rights, particularly as rapid technological developments continue to raise new and complex legal questions.

He said, “The strength of our privacy architecture will not be determined by its most impressive component, but by its weakest brick. Every brick counts. Every institution counts. Every decision counts.”

The Attorney General commended the organisers of PrivCon for sustaining the conference as an important platform for dialogue and collaboration among stakeholders in the legal, regulatory and technology sectors.

He urged participants to remain committed to building a privacy framework that responds effectively to emerging challenges, stressing that the strength of Nigeria’s privacy architecture would depend on the collective responsibility of every institution and stakeholder.