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The Nigerian Senate has advanced a bill requiring social media platforms to establish physical offices within the country, passing its second reading on Tuesday.
The proposed legislation, titled “A Bill for an Act to amend the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023,” is sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko (APC, Delta North). It aims to ensure multinational social media companies such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat have a formal presence in Nigeria, aligning with regulations in other nations.
During the plenary debate, Nwoko highlighted Nigeria’s dominance in Africa’s digital space, citing a Global Web Index report that ranks the country first on the continent and second globally in social media usage. Despite this, he noted that these tech giants do not maintain local offices, resulting in economic losses, legal enforcement challenges, and limited accountability.
The bill also proposes new rules for bloggers, mandating them to have verifiable offices in Nigeria’s capital cities, maintain proper employee records, and register under a recognized national blogging association based in Abuja. Nwoko emphasized that the legislation is not an attack on digital platforms but a call for fairness and respect for Nigeria’s role in the global digital economy.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio acknowledged the importance of digital regulation but stressed the need for a careful approach, particularly concerning bloggers. He assured that the bill was not intended to suppress social media but to ensure proper taxation and regulatory oversight.
The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security for further review, with a report expected in two months.
