The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) is backing the Africa Digital Infrastructure Company Limited (AfDIC) in its ambitious plan to build a unified digital platform that will onboard over 30 million artisans across Africa under a single verified identity framework.
The initiative, which also includes a Unified Identity System for Africa, is designed to provide millions of artisans access to essential services, financial inclusion programmes, and digital marketplaces—an effort that aligns with the continent’s drive for inclusive digital transformation.
The plan was revealed when Dr Vincent Olatunji, National Commissioner and CEO of the NDPC, received Mr Terwase Gbande-Hembaor, President and CEO of AfDIC, and his team at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, according to a statement by the data protection agency seen by Technology Times.
The initiative, which also includes a Unified Identity System for Africa, is designed to provide millions of artisans access to essential services, financial inclusion programmes, and digital marketplaces—an effort that aligns with the continent’s drive for inclusive digital transformation.
AfDIC: Unified Identity System for Africa to will host 30 million artisans
AfDIC serves as the investment arm of the Benue Digital Infrastructure Company Limited (BDIC), which has worked closely with the NDPC on several data governance initiatives.
Mr Gbande-Hembaor commended the Commission, under Dr Olatunji’s leadership, for its “continued support to BDIC,” citing NDPC’s role in training 40,000 Benue State Government staff as a model of digital capacity building.
He explained that the proposed national digital platform will host artisans who often operate outside formal structures, giving them a unified digital presence for identification, service delivery, and business expansion.
“The NDPC was our first point of contact, given the scale of data processing involved in our initiatives,” Mr Gbande-Hembaor said. “The Commission’s insights and regulatory guidance will be invaluable as AfDIC expands its operations to other African countries.”
The AfDIC CEO said the project aims to digitally integrate the informal workforce across Africa while ensuring data privacy and compliance with Nigeria’s regulatory framework as a benchmark for regional operations.
Dr Olatunji welcomed the AfDIC team and congratulated them for developing solutions targeted at improving citizens’ lives through technology. He underscored that data privacy and protection must remain central to the project’s design and implementation.
“Privacy is not an afterthought—it must be at the core of the system you are building,” Dr Olatunji said. “I encourage you to appoint a Data Protection Officer and engage a licensed Data Protection Compliance Organisation to ensure continuous compliance.”
The NDPC boss advised AfDIC to strengthen its verification and authentication processes to ensure that only qualified artisans are enrolled on the platform, stressing that credibility and trust will define the long-term success of the initiative.
He also called on the company to collaborate with relevant government agencies and ecosystem partners to achieve its objectives, reaffirming the NDPC’s readiness to provide regulatory guidance in data privacy, protection, and capacity building.
“Prioritising data protection and privacy will build trust and confidence among the countries and stakeholders you engage with,” Dr Olatunji said.
The initiative could become one of Africa’s largest digital inclusion projects, potentially transforming the livelihoods of millions of artisans by bringing them into the formal digital economy.
The AfDIC envisions the platform to serve as a continental model for secure, privacy-driven digital identity ecosystems, bridging the gap between informal workers and the digital marketplace.
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