PRIVACY PROTECTION FOR MOBILE HEALTH (MHEALTH) IN NIGERIA: A CONSIDERATION OF THE EU REGIME FOR DATA PROTECTION AS A CONCEPTUAL MODEL FOR REFORMING NIGERIA’S PRIVACY LEGISLATION

Abstract

The use of mobile technologies to provide and deliver healthcare is known as Mobile Health. Nigeria is one of the countries witnessing a profound use of these technologies. While discussions have focused on the potentials of this technologies to address the challenges in the health system, nothing is said about the risks from unauthorized disclosure or misuse of health information provided by users. This becomes worse when Nigeria’s laws do not offer adequate protection. As Mobile Health is a novelty to Nigeria, this thesis looks to relevant international standards on privacy protection. It does this by examining the European regime for protection of personal information. To prescribe this regime for Nigeria however, the differences in the socio-economic and cultural realities between Nigeria and Europe are presented and examined. This thesis argues that notwithstanding, Nigeria can draw on the European regime to reform its privacy framework.