• Investigation targets alleged breaches of Nigeria’s 2023 data protection law
• Platform processes personal data of an estimated 12.7 million Nigerians
• Probe focuses on surveillance concerns, transparency, and cross-border transfers

Nigeria has launched a formal investigation into the data processing practices of Chinese-owned e-commerce platform Temu, placing the personal information of millions of users under regulatory scrutiny. In a press release dated 16 February 2026, the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) announced that its National Commissioner and CEO, Vincent Olatunji, ordered an immediate probe into the company’s activities for potential violations of the Nigeria Data Protection Act. Preliminary findings indicate that Temu processes personal data belonging to approximately 12.7 million data subjects in Nigeria, while the platform records about 70 million daily active users globally.

According to the NDPC, the investigation was triggered by concerns related to online surveillance through personal data processing, as well as issues of accountability, data minimisation, transparency, duty of care, and cross-border data transfers. The Commission emphasised that organisations handling Nigerians’ personal information must comply with strict obligations under the 2023 Act, including lawful processing, clear disclosure of how data will be used, and adequate protection when transferring data outside the country.

Under the 2023 Data Protection Act, organisations collecting personal data in Nigeria must demonstrate a lawful basis for processing, limit collection to necessary information, protect user rights, and ensure adequate safeguards when transferring data abroad. The NDPC’s reference to surveillance and cross-border transfers suggests potential exposure under provisions governing consent, purpose limitation, and international data flows, areas that regulators globally have tightened as digital commerce expands. The Commission also warned that third-party processors acting on behalf of data controllers could face liability if they fail to verify compliance, highlighting risks across Temu’s wider ecosystem of vendors, logistics partners, and data intermediaries.

The probe comes amid broader international scrutiny of Temu’s practices in other parts of the world. European authorities have previously examined the platform under digital services and consumer protection rules, while policymakers worldwide increasingly question how ultra-low-cost marketplaces handle personal data, algorithmic profiling, and targeted advertising.

For Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country and one of the continent’s fastest-growing e-commerce markets, enforcement of the new law is a test case for digital sovereignty and consumer protection in an era of cross-border platforms. The NDPC did not specify a timeline for the probe or potential sanctions but indicated that enforcement actions may follow if violations are confirmed.

Temu, an international online marketplace known for low-cost consumer goods, has rapidly expanded its presence in Nigeria’s digital retail space. Local reporting establishes that, the outcome of the investigation could determine how the platform, and other foreign digital services, handle personal data within one of Africa’s largest online consumer markets under the country’s strengthened privacy framework.

Cynthia Ebot Takang