Data Privacy in Public Employment: Impacts of the UK GDPR and Nigeria's NDPR 2023

Abstract

This study examines the effect of the United Kingdom's General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and Nigeria's Data Protection Act (NDPA) 2023 in influencing human resource management (HRM) operations within public sector organisations. A mixed-methods research approach, which combined questionnaire surveys with document reviews to study essential HR operations that include recruitment and personnel records management, employee monitoring, health data administration, and termination procedures, has been adopted. The research shows that UK HR practices experienced major changes because of GDPR, through its enforcement of compliance requirements, employee rights protection, and institutional accountability measures. On the other hand, the NDPA 2023 was legislated recently by the Nigerian government to engender a modern legal structure within the scheme of development, yet public sector implementation faces obstacles because of several inhibiting factors like insufficient public knowledge, restricted financial backing, weak regulatory supervision and compliance enforcement. The NDPR 2023 is a total replacement for the erstwhile Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) 2019, which was in operation until its repeal in June 2023. The research demonstrates that institutional theory shows legislative frameworks that enforce rules do not ensure compliance because institutional power, together with staff knowledge and professional codes, determines the outcome. The research study advances existing knowledge about international data protection practices while delivering practical guidance to HR professionals, governmental bodies, and employees who operate in both domestic and foreign settings.