PalmPay has launched a major youth training program with the Ministry of Youth Development to boost data protection.
The initiative aims to equip over one million Nigerians with privacy and digital literacy skills nationwide.
PalmPay has partnered with the Federal Ministry of Youth Development to launch the Youth Data Protection Awareness and Training (YDPAT) Program, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at equipping over one million Nigerian youths with digital literacy and data protection skills over the next three years.
The training program was officially unveiled last week at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, with key stakeholders in the digital and youth development sectors in attendance. The initiative marks a strategic move to build a privacy-conscious and digitally empowered generation in Nigeria, where over 70% of the population is under the age of 30.
The Honorable Minister of Youth Development, Comrade Ayodele Olawande, hailed the initiative as a bold and timely intervention. “This is about building a privacy-first generation, one that is inclusive, future-facing, and globally competitive,” he said.
Olawande also highlighted a worrying gap in data protection awareness and implementation across Nigeria. He cited the low public understanding of the Nigerian Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023 and the severe shortage of certified Data Protection Officers (DPOs), despite the presence of more than 500,000 registered data controllers in the country.
PalmPay’s Managing Director, Chika Nwosu, reinforced the company’s commitment to privacy, stressing that data protection is as critical as innovation in today’s tech-driven world. “At PalmPay, we embed privacy in every layer of our product development process. Protecting user data is fundamental to the trust we build,” he said.
Beyond training, the program offers mentorship and internship opportunities for top-performing participants, bridging the gap between digital awareness and real-world career growth. PalmPay is also extending its reach to underserved areas, launching awareness campaigns in Northern Nigeria and expanding to other regions.
This is not the company’s first youth-focused initiative. PalmPay previously spearheaded the Purple Woman campaign and the Passing the Baton CSR program, which empowered thousands of young people and women in both urban and rural communities.
