Olumide Babalola – the pioneer Chair of the NBA Data Protection Committee – is a PhD researcher at the University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom, and adjunct lecturer at Lead City University, Ibadan. He is a legal scholar and a distinguished privacy and data protection lawyer. With a robust academic and professional background, Olumide is at the forefront of digital rights advocacy, privacy law, and data protection in Nigeria. He is a member of the International Data Policy Committee (IDPC) of CODATA, a global body dedicated to responsible data governance, and the Chair of the Nigerian Bar Association Data Protection Committee.
Olumide holds a Master’s degree in International Commercial Law with ICT & Commerce from the University of Reading, United Kingdom. His ongoing PhD research at the University of Portsmouth focuses on the concept of privacy within the jurisprudence of Nigerian courts. His academic work is closely intertwined with his pioneering efforts in the Nigerian legal system, where he has litigated landmark privacy and data protection cases up to the Supreme Court of Nigeria and the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice.
One of Olumide’s most significant legal contributions was handling the first Court of Appeal decision on data protection in Nigeria in the 2021 case:
Digital Rights Lawyers Initiative v. National Identity Management Commission (2021) LPELR – 55623(CA).
This landmark case defined the relationship between data protection and the constitutional right to privacy in Nigeria and has since become a central reference point in legal discussions surrounding data protection.
An accomplished author, Olumide has published several authoritative books on privacy and data protection law, including:
Casebook on Data Protection (2020)
Privacy and Data Protection Law in Nigeria (2021)
Digital Rights in Nigeria: Through the Cases (2022)
Emerging Jurisprudence on Privacy and Data Protection in Nigeria (2023)
Annotated Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023
His academic work has been featured in prestigious peer-reviewed journals, including:
Computer Law & Security Review
International Data Privacy Law
The Journal of Data Protection & Privacy
Olumide’s expertise is globally recognized. In 2021, he was invited to join the International Network of Privacy Law Professionals (INPLP), an exclusive membership network of privacy law experts. In 2023, he co-presented a paper at the University of Oxford on the subject of privacy, technology, and postcoloniality in Nigeria’s legal regime for data governance, further solidifying his international reputation.
He has contributed to advancing privacy law education in Nigeria by co-founding The Privacy Academy, an educational initiative that has trained hundreds of Nigerians in the emerging fields of privacy and data protection. In addition, he is the convener of PrivCon Nigeria, an annual privacy and data protection conference that gathers industry experts and stakeholders in Lagos to discuss emerging trends and challenges in the field. He also co-founded the Digital Rights Lawyers Initiative (DRLI), a civil society organization focused on litigation, advocacy, and research around digital rights.
Olumide’s passion for privacy and data protection has made him a regular speaker at local and international conferences. His role in leading a 2021 research project on the independence and efficiency of Data Protection Authorities in Africa further underscores his commitment to advancing data governance on the continent.
As the first Nigerian lawyer to litigate data protection cases up to the Supreme Court and the ECOWAS Community Court, Olumide Babalola continues to shape and influence the legal landscape of privacy and data protection in Nigeria. His work serves as a model for legal practitioners and privacy advocates across Africa.
In 2024, he founded the Data Privacy Lawyers Association of Nigeria, and in 2025, he was appointed Chair of the NBA Data Protection Committee.