Who We Are
Aforlink Limited is the data controller responsible for your personal data collected through the Platform. We are incorporated in Nigeria.
For privacy-related enquiries, contact us at: tech@aforlink.com
Information We Collect
2.1 Information You Provide
- Mobile phone number, used for account registration and OTP verification
- Display name and profile photograph
- For Sellers: business name, category, description, operating hours, pricing, and listing photographs
- Identity document type and number submitted for seller verification (NIN, Voter's Card, Driver's Licence, or International Passport), together with your date of birth
- Connection request messages and in-app communication history
- Reviews and ratings you submit
- Dispute and complaint submissions
2.2 Information Collected Automatically
- Real-time device location (GPS coordinates) when you grant location permission
- Device type, operating system, and application version
- Usage activity, including profile views, connection requests sent and received, and feature interactions
- Push notification interaction data
2.3 Information from Third Parties
- Identity verification outcome data returned by Nigerian government API providers (NIMC, INEC, FRSC, and NIS) via our verification partner Prembly/Identitypass
How We Use Your Information
3.1 To Provide the Platform
- To register your account and verify your identity
- To power the proximity-based discovery engine, matching buyers with nearby sellers in real time
- To display seller profiles in the discovery feed and map view
- To facilitate connection requests between buyers and sellers
- To send push notifications relevant to your activity on the Platform
- To calculate and display seller trust scores and response speed indicators
3.2 For Trust and Safety
- To verify the identity of sellers before activating their profiles
- To moderate reviews and seller responses for harmful, abusive, or prohibited content
- To investigate and resolve disputes and reports of misconduct
- To enforce our Terms of Use and take action against policy violations
3.3 For Platform Improvement
- To analyse usage patterns and monitor platform health
- To generate aggregated, anonymised analytics for internal reporting
- To identify and resolve technical issues
3.4 Legal Basis for Processing (NDPA)
We process your personal data on the following lawful bases:
- Performance of a contract: processing necessary to deliver the services you have registered for
- Legitimate interests: fraud prevention, platform safety, and service improvement, where these interests are not overridden by your rights
- Consent: for location tracking and push notifications, where your explicit permission is required before data is collected
- Legal obligation: where processing is required to comply with applicable Nigerian law
Location Data
Location data is the core mechanism by which the Platform delivers proximity-based discovery. We collect real-time GPS coordinates from your device when you grant location permission.
- Location data is used exclusively for proximity matching within the Platform
- Location data is not shared with third parties or used for advertising purposes
- You may deny or revoke location permission at any time through your device settings; doing so will require you to enter your location manually to continue using the Platform
- Collection of location data is based on your explicit consent, which you provide when granting location permission on your device
How We Share Your Information
5.1 With Other Users
Your seller profile — including business name, category, photos, pricing, operating hours, location, and ratings — is visible to all registered buyers on the Platform. Your display name is visible when you submit a review.
5.2 With Service Providers
We share your data with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating the Platform, including:
- Prembly/Identitypass: for identity verification against Nigerian government databases
- SMS gateway providers: for OTP delivery
- Push notification infrastructure providers
- Cloud hosting and infrastructure providers
- Automated content moderation service providers
All service providers are contractually required to handle your data securely and only for the purposes we specify.
5.3 Legal and Regulatory Disclosure
We may disclose your personal data where required to do so by law, court order, or a lawful request from a competent Nigerian authority. We will notify you of such disclosure where we are legally permitted to do so.
5.4 We Do Not Sell Your Data
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to any third party for commercial or marketing purposes.
Data Retention
We retain your personal data for as long as your account is active or as necessary to provide the Platform's services. Specific retention periods include:
- Account data is retained for the duration of your account and for a reasonable period thereafter to handle disputes or legal obligations
- Identity document numbers are not retained after the verification call completes; only the outcome and associated metadata are kept
- In-app notification history is retained for 30 days
- Connection and review history is retained for the lifetime of the account
You may request deletion of your account and associated data by contacting us at tech@aforlink.com. We will process deletion requests within a reasonable timeframe, subject to any legal obligations to retain certain records.
Data Security
We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction, including:
- Encryption of data at rest and in transit
- Access controls restricting data access to authorised personnel only
- Secure API communication with identity verification providers
- Progressive account lockout mechanisms for repeated failed OTP attempts
No system is entirely secure. If you believe your account has been compromised, please contact us immediately at tech@aforlink.com.
Your Rights Under the NDPA
As a data subject under the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, you have the following rights:
- Right of access: to request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
- Right to rectification: to request correction of inaccurate or incomplete data
- Right to erasure: to request deletion of your data, subject to lawful retention obligations
- Right to restrict processing: to request that we limit how we use your data in certain circumstances
- Right to data portability: to receive your data in a structured, machine-readable format
- Right to object: to object to processing carried out on the basis of legitimate interests
- Right to withdraw consent: where processing is based on consent (such as location tracking), you may withdraw at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at tech@aforlink.com. We will respond within the timeframe required under the NDPA. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) if you believe your data rights have been violated.
Children's Privacy
The Platform is not directed at persons under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal data from minors. If you become aware that a minor has registered on the Platform, please contact us and we will promptly remove the account and associated data.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will notify you via in-app notification and update the effective date at the top of this document. Your continued use of the Platform after notification constitutes acceptance of the revised Policy.
Contact Us
For all privacy-related queries, data rights requests, or complaints:
Privacy Enquiries
tech@aforlink.comGeneral Support
tech@aforlink.comOperator
Aforlink Limited — Privacy