The Senate has advanced a bill seeking to amend the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, to require social media platforms and bloggers to establish physical offices within the country.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North), passed its second reading on Tuesday and has sparked widespread debate about its implications for digital media and freedom of expression in the nation.
The legislation targets major platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, X (formerly Twitter), TikTok, YouTube, WhatsApp, and Snapchat, which currently operate in Nigeria without local offices.
Sen. Nwoko, leading the debate, emphasized Nigeria’s significant digital presence, citing a Global Web Index report that ranks Nigeria first in Africa and second globally in social media usage.
Nigerians spend an average of three hours and 46 minutes daily on social media, underscoring the country’s importance as a key market for these platforms.
Despite this high engagement, Sen. Nwoko noted that multinational social media corporations do not have physical offices in Nigeria, unlike in other countries.
He argued that this lack of local presence has led to challenges such as limited representation, economic losses, and difficulties in enforcing legal and data protection compliance.
The bill also introduces new regulations for bloggers, requiring them to establish verifiable offices in any of Nigeria’s capital cities, maintain proper employee records, and belong to a recognized national association of bloggers headquartered in Abuja.
According to Sen. Nwoko, these measures aim to promote accountability, transparency, and professionalism in Nigeria’s digital media space, akin to traditional media houses.
“This bill is not an attack on social media platforms but a demand for equity and respect for Nigeria’s position as a global leader in digital engagement,” the senator stated.
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Senate President Godswill Akpabio, while acknowledging the benefits of requiring local offices for digital platforms, cautioned that the regulation of bloggers requires careful consideration.
“It’s good to have an address, but bloggers are slightly different. I think the best thing is for the bill to go for a second reading and subsequently public hearing for much more streamlined clarity,” he said.
Akpabio added that he did not see the bill as an attempt to “gag bloggers” but emphasized the need for further scrutiny during the public hearing stage.
The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security, which is expected to report back in two months.
This move by the Nigerian government is seen as part of a broader effort to regulate social media and exert greater control over multinational tech companies.
In June 2021, the administration of then-President Muhammadu Buhari suspended Twitter (now X) for seven months after the platform deleted a tweet by Buhari that was deemed to violate its rules.
The government cited national security concerns and Twitter’s alleged role in spreading misinformation as reasons for the ban.
The suspension was lifted in January 2022 after Twitter agreed to establish a legal entity in Nigeria, appoint a country representative, and comply with local tax and content moderation laws.
