Temu, which has scored meteoric growth in recent years on the back of its cut-price offers, has been regularly criticised for its handling of its clients' personal data.

In a statement on Monday, Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) chief Vincent Olantunji said the probe would seek to determine whether the Chinese platform's data-processing practices "may be in violation of the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDP Act) 2023".

That law stipulates that users' personal data must be processed in a manner fully guaranteeing their protection.

"The investigation into Temu was triggered by concerns around online surveillance through personal data processing, accountability, data minimisation requirement, transparency, duty of care and cross-border data transfer," the statement said.

According to the NDPC, Temu handles the personal data of around 12.7 million people in Nigeria out of its 70 million daily active users worldwide.

The Nigerian regulator also suggested that the probe could look into subcontractors involved in the data-processing chain.

"Processors who engage in processing activities on behalf of data controllers without verifying their compliance with the NDP Act may be liable," it added.

The NDPC did not provide a timeline for the inquiry nor the potential sanctions Temu might face if found to be in breach of the regulations.