Govt, PalmPay unite to train 1m youths in digital safety
L–R: Country Representative, UNODC Nigeria, Chiek Toure; Chief Executive Officer, Palmpay, Chika Nwosu; Chief of Mission, International Organization for Migration, Sharon Dimanche; National Commissioner, Nigeria Data Protection Commission, Dr. Vincent Olatunji; Special Adviser to the President on Policy and Coordination, Ms. Hadiza Bala Usman; Minister of Youth Development, Ayodele Olawande; and Chairman, House Committee on Information and Technology, Stanley Olajide.
Fintech company PalmPay has joined forces with Nigeria’s Federal Ministry of Youth Development to train more than one million young people in data protection and digital safety over the next three years.
The Youth Data Protection Awareness and Training programme, unveiled recently at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, will focus on equipping Nigerian youths with the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the digital space securely. With young people making up over 70 per cent of the country’s population, organisers said the initiative is critical to fostering trust, security and innovation in Africa’s largest digital economy.
“This is about building a privacy-first generation, one that is inclusive, future-facing, and globally competitive,” Minister of Youth Development Ayodele Olawande said at the launch. He noted that awareness of Nigeria’s Data Protection Act, enacted in 2023, remains low and highlighted the shortage of certified Data Protection Officers despite more than 500,000 data controllers operating across the country.
PalmPay Managing Director, Chika Nwosu, said the company embeds privacy measures.
At every stage of its product development. “Data protection is as important as innovation in tech,” he said. “Our aim is to ensure user information remains safe while empowering youths with the skills they need to thrive.”
The programme will also provide mentorship and internship placements for top-performing participants, extending PalmPay’s broader youth-focused initiatives such as its Purple Woman campaign and Passing the Baton CSR programme, which have supported thousands of women and young people across Nigeria.
With plans to expand training campaigns into northern states, PalmPay and the Ministry said the initiative will be scaled nationwide to strengthen digital literacy and build a stronger workforce for Nigeria’s technology-driven economy.
