Held at the Transcorp Centre in Abuja, the programme brought together regulators, financial institutions and technology leaders around this year’s theme: “Privacy in the Era of Emerging Technologies: Trust, Ethics & Innovation”.

The National Data Privacy Summit, which concluded on Wednesday, 4 February, was convened in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA), which safeguards personal information across the country.

Welcoming Nigeria’s National Privacy Week 2026, Dr Vincent Olatunji, national commissioner/CEO of the NDPC, underscored the central role of privacy in building trust and unlocking sustainable digital growth.

“Privacy is not an isolated privilege; it is a fundamental right guaranteed by our Constitution. By building trust, we unlock the full potential of our digital economy and protect every Nigerian’s digital identity,” he said.

These priorities closely align with Optasia’s approach, as the company focuses on enabling inclusive digital financial services while embedding privacy, accountability and trust into its technology and partnerships.

As a company operating AI-powered financial services within highly regulated environments globally, Optasia brings practical experience in embedding governance, accountability and data protection into large-scale digital systems.

The company delivers its services exclusively through licensed financial institutions and regulated distribution partners, supporting the responsible expansion of digital financial services while maintaining robust standards of security and privacy.

Optasia’s SOC 2 Type II certification underscores its commitment to maintaining internationally recognised standards of security, confidentiality, and privacy.

Speaking during the event, Uchenna Agbo, Chief Commercial Officer at Optasia, highlighted the heightened responsibility that accompanies rapid digital growth.

“As Nigeria’s digital economy expands, the data that powers innovation and inclusion must be protected with the same seriousness as financial capital,” she said. “For Optasia, compliance, ethical data use and respect for consumer privacy are foundational to building long-term confidence across the digital ecosystem.”

Optasia’s executive leadership participated in high-level panel discussions, with Antoine Chatzistamatiou, chief technology & innovation officer, sharing insights on “Building trust by design: Privacy, ethics, and accountability in emerging technologies”, alongside a senior representative from GTBank.

Additionally, Stelios Lelis, chief data & risk officer contributed to a session titled “Innovation without Intrusion: Balancing data-driven growth with privacy as a fundamental right”, alongside senior leadership from Microsoft and Stanbic IBTC.

Optasia’s Nigeria engagement is anchored in four operating priorities: privacy-by-design, responsible use of AI, innovation without intrusive data practices, and stronger collaboration across the licensed ecosystem.

The company’s engagement in Nigeria reflects a long-term commitment to supporting a trusted and inclusive digital economy. As data-driven services continue to expand across sectors, Optasia remains focused on contributing constructively to ecosystem conversations around privacy, accountability, and responsible innovation.

This investigation was triggered by a pattern of suspected non-compliant data processing which was discovered during routine regulatory oversight of data controllers and data processors of major importance, a statement by Babatunde  Bamigboye, head, Legal, Enforcement & Regulations at NDPC, explained.

The statement further reads:

“The Commission notes with grave concern that Optasia deploys privacy invading technologies to process personal data for the purposes of marketing, credit scoring and other financial solutions.

“The investigation of credit scoring activities covers the way financial institutions, telecommunication companies, insurance companies among others process personal data of citizens for various purposes.

“The National Commissioner enjoins data controllers and data processors of major importance who rely on third parties as mediums through which the personal data of the Nigerian populace may be processed to ensure that such third parties are duly registered with the Commission.

“This measure will ensure accountability, strengthen data security architecture and protect Nigeria’s data sovereignty.