Privacy Policy

Last updated: 19 April 2026

1. Overview

Science Ambassadors Foundation ("SAF Africa", "we", "us", or "our") is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to empowering Africa through STEM training, innovation, and opportunity. This Privacy Policy explains how we handle personal data when you visit safafrica.org, register for the National University Food Innovation Challenge (NUFIC), donate to our campaigns, volunteer, or otherwise engage with our programmes.

We are committed to processing your data lawfully and transparently in line with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 (NDPA), the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) where it applies to you, and other applicable data-protection laws.

2. Who we are

Data Controller: Science Ambassadors Foundation
Office: University of Lagos, Akoka, Yaba, Lagos, Nigeria
Email: info@safafrica.org
Phone: +234 703 572 0856

Questions about this policy, or any request relating to your personal data, can be sent to privacy@safafrica.org.

3. Data we collect

We collect personal data only when you choose to share it with us. Depending on how you engage with SAF Africa, this may include:

• NUFIC 2026 registration: full name, email, phone, institution, level/department, team members, participation type (student, exhibitor, investor, media, volunteer, sponsor, partner), and details of a proposed product or project.
• Donations: donor name, email, phone, donation amount, message, and the bank-transfer receipt you upload. We do not store card or full bank-account numbers — donations are made by direct transfer and verified manually by our team.
• Partnership & corporate enquiries: contact person, organisation, role, partnership type of interest, and any message you send.
• Contact and volunteer forms: name, email, phone, subject, message.
• Newsletter subscriptions: email address and (optionally) name.
• Automatically collected data: IP address, device and browser information, referral URL, and pages visited. See our Cookie Policy for details.

We never knowingly collect special-category data (such as health, religion, or political opinion) unless strictly necessary for a specific programme and with your explicit consent.

4. How we use your data

We use your personal data to:

• Process your NUFIC registration, issue confirmations, and manage participation, logistics, and awards.
• Record and acknowledge your donation, verify the bank transfer, issue an email receipt, and report on how your gift was used.
• Respond to partnership, contact, volunteer, and media enquiries.
• Send programme updates, invitations, and impact reports — only where you have subscribed or have an active relationship with us.
• Improve our website and programmes through aggregated, non-identifying analytics (only after you consent to analytics cookies).
• Comply with legal, regulatory, tax, and audit obligations applicable to not-for-profit organisations in Nigeria.

5. Lawful basis for processing

We rely on the following lawful bases under the NDPA and, where applicable, GDPR Article 6:

• Consent — for newsletters, analytics cookies, and optional marketing.
• Performance of a contract / pre-contractual steps — to process NUFIC registrations, donations, and partnership agreements you initiate.
• Legitimate interests — to run SAF Africa's charitable mission, protect our website, and communicate with existing supporters in a way they would reasonably expect. We balance these interests against your rights.
• Legal obligation — to meet tax, financial, and regulatory requirements.

6. Who we share data with

SAF Africa does not sell personal data. We share it only where necessary:

• Co-hosts and partners of specific events (e.g., University of Abuja for NUFIC 2026) where access to your registration data is needed to deliver the event. Sharing is limited to what is necessary.
• Service providers that help us operate — including web hosting, email delivery, secure file storage for receipts, and, in future, payment gateways. These providers are bound by written agreements requiring confidentiality and security.
• Regulators, auditors, or law enforcement where we are legally required to disclose.

We do not share donor or registrant data with corporate sponsors for their own marketing unless you have explicitly opted in.

7. How long we keep your data

• Donation records and uploaded receipts — 7 years, to meet financial and audit obligations.
• NUFIC registrations — for the duration of the event plus 2 years, for reporting and impact measurement.
• Contact and partnership enquiries — 3 years from last interaction.
• Newsletter subscribers — until you unsubscribe.

When we no longer need your data, we delete or anonymise it.

8. Your rights

Subject to applicable law, you have the right to:

• Access the personal data we hold about you.
• Correct data that is inaccurate or incomplete.
• Erase your data where it is no longer needed and no legal obligation requires retention.
• Restrict or object to processing — including direct marketing, which you can stop at any time.
• Data portability — receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent (without affecting prior lawful processing).
• Lodge a complaint with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (ndpc.gov.ng) or, if you are in the EU/UK, your local supervisory authority.

To exercise any right, email privacy@safafrica.org. We respond within 30 days.

9. How we protect your data

We use technical and organisational measures appropriate to the risk — including encrypted connections (HTTPS), access controls on our admin panel, CSRF protection, password hashing for staff accounts, and secure storage for uploaded receipts. No system is perfectly secure; if we ever identify a breach affecting your data, we will notify you and the regulator as required by law.

10. Children

SAF Africa runs STEM outreach and mentorship that benefit young people, including minors. Where a programme involves participants under 18, we collect data only with parental or guardian consent, or through the participating school or university. We never intentionally collect personal data from children under 13 through this website.

11. International data transfers

Our hosting, email, and analytics providers may process data outside Nigeria. Where this happens, we ensure an adequate level of protection through standard contractual clauses, adequacy decisions, or equivalent safeguards, as required by the NDPA and GDPR.

12. Cookies & tracking

We use a small number of essential cookies to run the website, and (only with your consent) analytics cookies to improve it. You can review and change your choices at any time on our Cookie Policy page, or by clicking Manage cookies.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Substantive changes will be announced on our website and, where appropriate, by email to affected users. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page always reflects the current version.

14. Contact us

For any privacy-related query, complaint, or request, write to: