Senate on Tuesday continued with the legislative process on a bill seeking social media platforms to establish physical offices within the country.
The proposed legislation, titled ‘A Bill for an Act to amend the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, to mandate the establishment of physical offices within the territorial boundaries of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by Social Media Platforms, and for Related Matters, 2025 (SB. 650),’ sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko, passed second reading during plenary.
Leading debate on the bill which passed first reading on November 21, 2024, Nwoko said it was not only of national importance, but also central to Nigeria’s sovereignty, economy and technological development, as it “seeks to correct a glaring omission on how multinational social media companies engage with our country”.
He noted that Nigeria, as Africa’s most populous nation with over 220 million people, has a significant digital presence, ranking first in Africa and second globally in terms of social media usage, spending an average of three hours and 46 minutes daily online, according to a Global Web Index report cited by Business Insider Africa.
The lawmaker added that despite the high engagement, multinational social media corporations such as Facebook, X, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat do not maintain physical offices in Nigeria, unlike in other climes.
Senator Nwoko outlined several challenges resulting from the absence of social media offices in Nigeria to include limited local representation, economic losses, as well as challenges in legal and data protection compliance.
He revealed that the bill proposes new regulations for bloggers operating in Nigeria, mandating them to establish a verifiable office in any of the capital cities across the country, maintain proper employee records and belong to a recognised national association of bloggers, headquartered in Abuja.
This measure, he explained is intended to promote accountability, transparency and professionalism in the digital media space, similar to traditional media houses.
Nwoko clarified that the 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.
In his remarks, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio said the regulation of bloggers requires careful consideration, just as he agreed that having a local address for digital platforms is long overdue.
“It is good to have an address, but bloggers are slightly different. I think the best thing is for the bill to go for second reading and subsequently, public hearing for more streamlined clarity,” he said.
Akpabio equally explained that the bill is not an attempt to gag social media, but rather a framework for appropriate taxation and record-keeping for digital platforms operating in Nigeria.
He later referred the bill to the Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security for further legislative process and to report back in two months.
