Privacy Policy

AcademiaHub Africa

Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 1 April 2026

AcademiaHub Africa (“we”, “us”, or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all users of our academic research platform. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, store, share, and protect your information when you access or use our services.

This Policy applies to students, educators, researchers, and institutional users across Africa and any other regions where our platform operates.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

Account registration data: full name, email address, institution affiliation, professional role
Profile information: academic credentials, areas of research interest, institutional identifier
Content you submit: research papers, comments, messages, collaboration materials
Payment and billing information (processed through secure third-party processors)
Communications with our support team

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

Device and browser information (IP address, device type, operating system)
Usage data: pages visited, features accessed, search queries, session duration
Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 6)
Log data and error reports

1.3 Information from Third Parties

Institutional sign-on (SSO) systems where your institution integrates with our platform
Academic identity verification services
Open researcher identifiers such as ORCID, where voluntarily linked

2. How We Use Your Information

We use your personal data for the following purposes:

To create and manage your account and provide platform services
To facilitate academic research, collaboration, and publication activities
To verify institutional affiliations and academic credentials
To communicate with you regarding your account, updates, and support
To personalise your experience and recommend relevant research content
To process payments and manage subscriptions (for paid tiers)
To improve our platform through analytics and user feedback
To comply with applicable legal obligations under Nigerian and African Union laws
To detect, prevent, and address fraud, abuse, or security incidents

3. Legal Basis for Processing

Where applicable under Nigerian data protection law (Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 — NDPA) and similar frameworks across African jurisdictions, we process your personal data on the following legal bases:

Contractual necessity: to perform our obligations under our Terms of Service
Legitimate interests: platform security, fraud prevention, product improvement
Consent: for optional features such as marketing communications or analytics beyond core operations
Legal obligation: where required by applicable law or regulatory authorities

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure

4.1 We Do Not Sell Your Data

AcademiaHub Africa does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties for commercial purposes.

4.2 Authorised Sharing

We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

With your institution, where you have enrolled via an institutional licence and subject to a data processing agreement
With service providers who assist us in operating the platform (e.g., cloud hosting, payment processing, email delivery) under strict data processing agreements
With research partners or co-investigators, only where you have given explicit consent
With regulators, law enforcement, or courts when required by law or to protect rights and safety
In connection with a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, subject to adequate data protection commitments

4.3 Cross-Border Data Transfers

Your data may be processed in countries outside your country of residence. Where such transfers occur, we apply appropriate safeguards including contractual clauses, adequacy determinations, or equivalent protections consistent with the NDPA and applicable African data protection frameworks.

5. Data Retention

We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active or as necessary to provide services. Upon account deletion:

Account data is permanently deleted within 90 days
Anonymised usage and research analytics may be retained indefinitely for platform improvement
Financial records are retained for a minimum of 7 years in compliance with Nigerian financial regulations
Data subject to ongoing legal proceedings or regulatory requests will be retained for the duration of such proceedings

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar technologies to operate and improve our platform. Types of cookies used include:

Essential cookies: required for login, session management, and core functionality
Analytics cookies: to understand how users interact with the platform (opt-out available)
Preference cookies: to remember your settings and personalisation choices

You may manage cookie preferences through your browser settings or our cookie consent tool. Note that disabling essential cookies may affect platform functionality.

7. Your Rights

Subject to applicable Nigerian and African data protection laws, you have the following rights:

Right of access: request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
Right to rectification: request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
Right to erasure: request deletion of your data (subject to legal retention requirements)
Right to restriction: request that we limit processing of your data in certain circumstances
Right to data portability: receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
Right to object: object to processing based on legitimate interests
Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent, withdraw it at any time

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at: support@mail.academiahubafrica.org. We will respond within 30 days of receiving your request.

8. Data Security

We implement industry-standard technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including:

Encryption of data in transit (TLS) and at rest (AES-256)
Role-based access controls and multi-factor authentication for administrative systems
Regular security assessments and penetration testing
Incident response procedures with regulatory notification protocols

In the event of a personal data breach that poses a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify the relevant data protection authority and affected users as required by law.

9. Children’s Privacy

Our platform is intended for adults aged 18 and above. We do not knowingly collect personal data from individuals under 18. If you believe we have inadvertently collected data from a minor, please contact us immediately and we will delete it.

10. Applicable Law and Regulatory Compliance

This Privacy Policy is governed by and construed in accordance with the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 (NDPA) and the regulations of the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC). We also recognise and seek to comply with the data protection frameworks of other African Union member states in jurisdictions where we operate.

11. Contact and Complaints

For privacy-related enquiries or to lodge a complaint, contact our Data Protection Officer:

Email: support@mail.academiahubafrica.org

Postal Address: AcademiaHub Africa, Data Protection Officer, [Registered Address], Nigeria

If you are dissatisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) at ndpc.gov.ng or the relevant data protection authority in your country.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Material changes will be communicated via email or prominent notice on the platform at least 30 days before they take effect. Continued use of the platform after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy.