Request for Proposals

Translation of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 into Five Additional Nigerian Languages

Field

Detail

Issued by : Tech Hive Advisory

RFP Reference : THA/NDPC/P4.4-TRANSLATION/2026

Issue Date: April 2026

Application Deadline :[TO BE SPECIFIED]

Deliverable Timeline: Full deliverable concluded by M18 (September 2027)

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1. Background and Purpose

Tech Hive Advisory, on behalf of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission and Meta, invites proposals from qualified translators, academic linguists, and professional translation organisations to deliver verified translations of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 into five additional Nigerian languages. Each translation will be accompanied by a plain-language summary in the same language. The deliverable forms part of the Programmatic Framework, a two-year initiative implemented by Tech Hive Advisory to strengthen Nigeria's data protection ecosystem.

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The Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 came into force on June 12, 2023. It establishes the rights of data subjects, the obligations of data controllers and processors, and the supervisory role of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission. The Act is available in English. Translations into Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa have been completed as part of a separate workstream. This RFP procures translations into five additional languages to extend meaningful access to the Act to additional Nigerian communities.

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Nigeria has over 500 distinct languages. Selecting five for translation requires careful judgement on geopolitical coverage, demographic reach, and the communities most underserved by existing public legal information. This RFP keeps the specific language selection open so that the Commission, Tech Hive Advisory, and the selected Execution Partner can finalise the language list together after appointment, drawing on the applicant's expertise in Nigerian linguistic practice.

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The primary outputs are verified legal translations of the full NDPA text, one per target language, and plain-language summaries adapted for general audiences, one per target language. All outputs are vested in the Commission and published under an open-access Creative Commons licence on the National Open-Access Knowledge Portal.

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2. Scope of Work

2.1 Target Languages

The deliverable covers five additional Nigerian languages, to be agreed upon between the Commission, Tech Hive Advisory, and the selected Execution Partner after appointment. Yoruba, Igbo, and Hausa are excluded from the scope, as they were completed separately.

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Applicants propose a language suite of five in their submission, with written justification for each language chosen. The selection criteria the applicant should address include geopolitical zone coverage, primary speaker population, the extent to which existing public legal information is already available in the language, and the practical feasibility of delivering translation and community review within the engagement period.

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Languages worth considering include, but are not limited to, Pidgin (national reach across all six geopolitical zones), Fulfulde (north-west, north-east, and north-central zones), Efik or Ibibio (Cross River and Akwa Ibom States), Ijaw or Izon (Bayelsa, Delta, and Rivers States), Tiv (Benue and surrounding states), Kanuri (Borno and surrounding states), and Nupe (Niger and Kwara States). Applicants are not required to propose any specific language; the suggested list is illustrative.

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The Commission retains discretion to adjust the final five after appointment in consultation with the Execution Partner. Applicants whose proposals are otherwise strong but whose language list does not exactly match the Commission's eventual preference will not be disqualified on that basis alone.

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2.2 Legal Translation

For each target language, the Execution Partner translates the complete text of the NDPA 2023, including all parts, sections, and schedules. The translation must:

• Preserve the legal meaning and structure of each provision without paraphrase or summarisation
• Apply consistent terminology for every defined term across all sections, using the shared project glossary
• Where no direct equivalent exists in the target language, adopt standardised transliteration or a coined term, accompanied by an explanatory note in the methodology document
• Be submitted to the back-translation validation process described in section 3

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2.3 Plain-Language Summary

For each target language, the Execution Partner produces a plain-language summary of the NDPA. The summary must:

• Be accessible to an adult with primary-level education in the target language
• Cover the rights of data subjects under the Act in non-technical terms
• Explain the role of the Commission and the process for making a complaint
• Not exceed ten pages in length
• Be reviewed by at least one community reader before submission

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2.4 Shared Terminology Glossary

The Execution Partner produces a consolidated glossary covering every defined term in the NDPA. The glossary must:

• List each defined term in English alongside its agreed equivalent in each target language
• Flag instances where no direct equivalent exists and document the approach taken
• Be maintained as a living document throughout the engagement and finalised alongside the draft translations
• Serve as a reference for future legislative translation and Commission regulatory communication work

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2.5 Back-Translation Validation

For each target language, the Execution Partner conducts a structured back-translation validation. An independent reviewer who has not seen the English original translates the target-language draft back into English. Divergences between the original English and the back-translation are documented and resolved before the translation is finalised. The Execution Partner submits a back-translation validation report per language as part of the final deliverables.

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3. Required Outputs

Primary Outputs (per language, across five languages)

• A complete, verified legal translation of the NDPA 2023 in the target language, formatted to mirror the structure and section numbering of the English original
• A plain-language summary of the NDPA in the target language, not exceeding ten pages

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Supporting Outputs

• A consolidated terminology glossary covering all five target languages, formatted for accessibility and long-term reference
• A back-translation validation report per language, documenting the back-translation process, the reviewers involved, divergences identified, and how each was resolved
• A methodology note per language documenting the translation approach, terminology decisions, limitations identified, and the credentials of all individuals involved in translation and review

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Indicative Milestone Timeline

Milestone

Deliverable

Payment

Inception

Approved final language list, terminology glossary draft, and work plan

25%

Mid-point

Complete draft translations across all five target languages

30%

Pre-finalisation

Complete plain-language summaries and back-translation reports

25%

Final

Final outputs accepted: translations, summaries, glossary, back-translation reports, and methodology notes

20%

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4. Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must satisfy all of the following to be considered.

4.1 Translation and Linguistic Expertise

Applicants must demonstrate professional-level proficiency in both English and each target language they propose to cover. Acceptable evidence includes:

• Academic qualifications in linguistics, translation studies, or a related field relevant to each target language
• Professional certification from a recognised translation body, such as the Nigerian Institute of Translators and Interpreters, the Chartered Institute of Linguists, or an equivalent body
• A portfolio of prior translation work in each target language, including a minimum of three samples of legal, regulatory, or public-sector text
• For organisations, a named translator with individual qualifications for each language pair is proposed

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Tech Hive Advisory does not require all samples to be formally certified. Community-based translation projects, university research translations, or government-commissioned language work are acceptable, provided they demonstrate the ability to handle formal written text.

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4.2 Legal or Regulatory Familiarity

Applicants must demonstrate prior engagement with legal or regulatory text in any language. Evidence of prior translation of legislation, regulation, court judgments, or regulatory guidance will satisfy this requirement. Applicants without direct legal translation experience may propose to engage a qualified legal reviewer. In that case, the reviewer's credentials and the proposed review process must be included in the proposal.

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4.3 Data Protection Compliance

Applicants must satisfy the data protection compliance requirements set out in the Execution Partner Selection Criteria. This includes NDPC registration or a documented basis for exemption, and a data protection governance framework appropriate to the work. Applicants who collect personal data during community review sessions must document their approach to data minimisation, consent, and retention in line with the NDPA.

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4.4 Team Composition

The proposed team must include:

• At least one named translator per target language, with individual credentials for that language pair
• At least one legal reviewer with familiarity with Nigerian legislation, to verify the accuracy of legal terminology and structure across all translations
• At least one community reviewer per target language, drawn from a community where that language is a primary spoken language, to validate readability and natural language usage before submission
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4.5 Community Engagement Capacity

Applicants must demonstrate the capacity to conduct a structured back-translation review with native-speaking community members. Proposals must describe:

• How community reviewers will be identified, recruited, and appropriately compensated
• The process for conducting back-translation and capturing divergences between the translated and back-translated text
• How identified divergences will be resolved and documented before finalisation
• How the review process will accommodate reviewers with varying levels of literacy in the target language

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5. Proposal Requirements

Proposals must not exceed 12 pages excluding annexes and must include:

• A technical proposal describing the translation methodology, approach to terminology management, back-translation process, and quality assurance procedures
• A language coverage plan identifying the five languages the applicant proposes to cover, with written justification for each language chosen against the selection criteria in section 2.1
• Named translators, legal reviewers, and community consultants for each language, with individual CVs attached as an annex
• A minimum of three samples of prior legal or regulatory translation per proposed language, provided as accessible documents or live hyperlinks; applicants confirm all links are accessible at the time of submission
• A work plan with milestones aligned to the engagement period in the reference table
• A financial proposal setting out fees and costs, broken down by language and by deliverable milestone, in both Nigerian Naira and United States Dollars
• A signed Conflict of Interest declaration in the form provided by Tech Hive Advisory
• Evidence of data protection compliance as specified in section 4.3

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6. Evaluation Criteria

Applicants who do not satisfy section 4 are not scored. Tech Hive Advisory may interview shortlisted applicants before final selection.

Criterion

Weight

Translation and linguistic expertise per language proposed

30%

Quality of sample translations submitted

25%

Legal familiarity and legal review capacity

15%

Language coverage proposal and geopolitical justification

10%

Community engagement approach and back-translation methodology

10%

Value for money

10%

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7. Conditions

• All intellectual property produced under this engagement vests in the Commission and is published under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence on the National Open-Access Knowledge Portal
• Translations must not be shared publicly or with any party outside the programme before formal review and sign-off by the Commission
• Payment is milestone-based as set out in section 3
• Tech Hive Advisory and the Commission hold quality-assurance and factual-correction rights over draft outputs. Neither party holds the right to alter a translation choice that is supported by documented reasoning in the methodology note
• Where community review sessions involve the collection of personal data, appropriate informed consent must be obtained and data handled in accordance with the NDPA and any applicable institutional ethical requirements
• The Execution Partner must not engage sub-contractors for translation, legal review, or community engagement without prior written approval from Tech Hive Advisory. Any approved sub-contractor must operate under written agreements that include data protection and confidentiality obligations equivalent to those binding the Execution Partner.

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DOWNLOAD RFP DOCUMENT

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