The Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy (FMACTCE), Mr Abdulkarim Ozi Ibrahim said that Stakeholders’ Engagement on the Gap Analysis of the Ministry is not merely checking a box of administrative procedures, instead it is taking a definitive, strategic step toward securing the foundation of Nigeria’s vibrant creative and cultural assets.
The Permanent Secretary while officially declaring open the Ministry’s one -day Stakeholders’ session for Data Protection Compliance held on July 15, 2026 in Abuja, explained that in line with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the Ministry’s mandate is to position Nigeria as a global hub for art, tourism and creative enterprise.
Ibrahim who was represented at the event by the Director Legal, Barr. Peter Mbam mentioned that global competitiveness in the 21st century cannot exist without trust and trust in the modern digital landscape is built on robust information security and absolute compliance with data privacy laws.
He noted that compliance is not a static destination, it is a shared culture, adding that the Ministry cannot build an impenetrable information security system in isolation, which is why the engagement is vital. This engagement is designed to share findings openly, gather your valuable technical expertise and harmonise our security standards across all partner agencies and private sector Stakeholders, he added.
Ibrahim further urged the participants that the success of our national security posture depends on their participation, as their feedback will directly shape the policies, technologies and capacity building programs we implement to bridge these identified gaps.
The Permanent Secretary emphasized that to build these trust, the Ministry initiated a comprehensive Gap Analysis which was designed to evaluate the current operational processes against two major non-negotiable benchmarks: the ISO/IEC 27001 standard, which represents the global gold standard for Information Security Management System, and the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023, which he said is the Statutory obligation to protect the personal data of every citizen and visitor who interacts with our digital portals, cultural archives, and creative registries.
He described the Gap as an honest, transparent look in the mirror, which enabled the Ministry to identify precisely where our digital infrastructure is resilient and, more important, “where we must urgently improve”. This is particularly imperative as the Ministry is transitioning from paper to paperless system, which is a reality, he added.
He reiterated that when communication becomes digital, information security and data privacy are no longer optional, they are indeed the bedrock of institutional trust, adding that, as a Ministry that handles high volumes of sensitive personal and strategic data from tourist profiles to intellectual property registrations, we cannot afford vulnerabilities. This analysis according to the Permanent Secretary provides the direct roadmap required to transition the Ministry from a state of exposure to one of compliance, resilience and operational excellence.
He urged the participants to take the Stakeholders’ deliberations approach with a shared sense of duty and assured them of the Ministry’s unwavering commitment to implementing every recommendation raising from this process. “We will continue to drive these reforms under the core principles of the civil service”, that is “transparency, accountability, efficiency and strict adherence to the law” he assured.
Earlier, in her welcome address, the Head of Information Communication Technology (ICT), Mrs Agnes Mokoko said this session provides an opportunity for us to openly assess our current processes, identify existing challenges and collectively determine the gaps that must be addressed to improve service delivery and operational efficiency within the Ministry.
According to her, this exercise will help in giving “insights, expertise and contributions which are invaluable. It will further assess the Ministry’s current digital landscape, identify existing gaps and develop practical strategies that will strengthen our system, she added.
While encouraging active participation through out the engagement, Mokoko stated that “together, we can develop practical and sustainable solutions that will support the Ministry’s digital transformation and strategic objectives.
Those in attendance at the event are Directors of the Ministry, Representative of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission, the Ministry’s Technical Partners, Consultants, System Auditors and Industry Stakeholders and Collaborators.
Amadi Uloma Nneka, anipr
Head, Press and Public Relations
July 16, 2026
