There have been mixed reactions about both governmental and private organizations use of apps to curb the COVID-19 pandemic especially with respect to privacy and data protection. In an earlier article, we argued that that the use of personal data and the associated technology is essential to the success against the epidemic. The pandemic is a public health crisis necessitating urgent measures to curb and eradicate it. The success of technology has been seen in place like South Korea, and some other countries through efficient tagging tracing and monitoring. Nonetheless, upholding privacy and data protection rights during this process is equally crucial for the preservation of human right, freedom and civil liberty.

Nigeria is no different than other nations that have adopted the use of technology as one of the strategies to combat the pandemic. In Nigeria, we have seen individuals and private organizations releasing self-triaging apps and state governments releasing self-assessment apps. This comes at a time when Nigeria is yet to adopt a national contact tracing app like it is been adopted or mooted in other countries.

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