Data protection

In 2020, the world was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic, and states have since resorted to the use of digital measures such as contact tracing applications and location data analytics to curb the spread of the virus. These measures, though with obvious benefits, also have significant impact on data protection. The major challenge becomes ensuring personal data privacy/protection on one hand and managing the public health crisis on the other hand. This article examines the effectiveness of the legal requirements governing the use of digital measures for curbing the Covid-19 virus in Nigeria. Through doctrinal research methodology, this article examines the legal framework for data protection in Nigeria in order to determine the status of data privacy in Nigeria. The study also focuses on the impact of the digital measures for the processing of personal data for purposes related to curbing the Covid-19 virus on data privacy in Nigeria. To determine this, the legal requirements governing the use of such digital measures are examined. This article finds that there is no comprehensive data protection law in Nigeria and that there are no guidelines setting out minimum data protection standards that digital measures used in curtailing the virus should comply with. This article argues that the use of digital measures to contain the spread of the Covid-19 virus requires adequate regulatory framework to guarantee data privacy/protection. The study also makes recommendations to ensure better protection of personal data in Nigeria.