At the heart of Abuja, in the iconic Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre, a new chapter for Nigerian youths was written, one that blends digital opportunity with the urgent need for data privacy.
The occasion was the launch of the Youth Data Protection Awareness and Training (YDPAT) program, a bold, transformative initiative spearheaded by PalmPay in partnership with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development.
For PalmPay, this wasn’t just another tech partnership. It was a mission: to equip over one million Nigerian youths in three years with the tools and knowledge to thrive, and stay safe, in the digital age.
Standing before a crowd of passionate young Nigerians and digital innovators, the Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, declared the initiative a “bold step” toward building a privacy-first, digitally literate generation.
He didn’t hold back, pointing to the sobering reality that despite over 500,000 data controllers operating in Nigeria, awareness of the Nigerian Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023 remains alarmingly low, and certified Data Protection Officers (DPOs) are far too scarce.
PalmPay’s Managing Director, Mr. Chika Nwosu, echoed these concerns. For him, protecting data isn’t optional, it’s fundamental.
“We don’t just innovate,” he said, “we embed privacy into every stage of our product development.”
His message was clear: as digital access expands, so must digital responsibility.
But PalmPay’s vision goes beyond just training. YDPAT is also about empowerment. Top-performing participants will gain access to mentorship and internship placements, opening doors to careers in cybersecurity, data governance, and beyond.
This follows PalmPay’s consistent track record of community-focused initiatives, from the Purple Woman Campaign to Passing the Baton CSR, which have impacted thousands of young women and underserved communities.
Already, the YDPAT train is rolling through Northern Nigeria, with more state-by-state activations in the pipeline. For PalmPay, every classroom reached, every young mind enlightened, is a step closer to a nation of informed, digitally-savvy citizens.
In a world where data is power, PalmPay and the Federal Ministry of Youth Development are making sure Nigerian youths are not just connected, but protected.
