Integrating Global Privacy Frameworks in Cross-Border Financial Institutions

In an increasingly data-driven global economy, cross-border financial institutions face mounting challenges in aligning diverse data privacy regulations across jurisdictions. This paper investigates the complexities of integrating global privacy frameworks, with a comparative focus on the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and the Nigerian Data Protection Regulation. By analysing the legal, operational, and technological implications of these regimes, the study explores how regulatory divergence impacts financial institutions’ compliance strategies, data governance practices, and cross-border service delivery. Through an in-depth review of legal mechanisms for data transfer, case studies from Europe, the United States, and Nigeria, as well as an examination of the role of cloud computing, the paper reveals the tensions between regulatory compliance, innovation, and operational efficiency. Emphasising the need for harmonisation, it proposes integrated compliance frameworks, privacy-by-design principles, and the adoption of artificial intelligence as enablers of regulatory agility. The findings underscore the importance of international cooperation and adaptive policy design in fostering resilient, privacy-compliant financial ecosystems.