Sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North), the bill is 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).’
The Nigerian Senate has passed a bill through its second reading, seeking to amend the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, to require social media platforms to establish physical offices within the country.
Sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North), the bill is 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).’
Popular social media platforms in Nigeria include Facebook and Instagram, both owned by Meta, as well as X and TikTok.
Leading the debate, Nwoko stated that Nigeria, as Africa’s most populous nation with over 220 million people, has a significant digital presence, Channels TV report.
He cited a Global Web Index report referenced by Business Insider Africa, which places Nigeria first in Africa and second globally in social media usage, with users spending an average of three hours and 46 minutes online daily.
Despite this high engagement, he noted that multinational social media corporations such as Facebook, X, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat do not have physical offices in Nigeria, unlike in other countries.
He outlined several challenges arising from this situation, including limited local representation, economic losses, and difficulties in legal and data protection compliance.
The bill also introduces new regulations for bloggers operating in Nigeria. It mandates that all bloggers must 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.
According to Nwoko, this measure aims to promote accountability, transparency, and professionalism in Nigeria’s digital media space, similar to traditional media houses.
He argued 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.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, speaking on the bill, acknowledged that while requiring a local office for digital platforms is beneficial, 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 stated.
He added, “I was looking to see if it intends to gag bloggers, but I haven’t seen that, so we wait for it to get to the stage of public hearing.”
The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security, which is expected to report back in two months.
In June 2021, then-President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration suspended Twitter’s (now X) operations in Nigeria after the platform deleted one of Buhari’s tweets for violating its rules.
The deleted tweet referenced Nigeria’s civil war and was perceived as threatening. The government cited national security concerns and Twitter’s alleged role in spreading misinformation and inciting violence as reasons for the ban.
The suspension lasted for seven months and was lifted in January 2022 after Twitter agreed to certain conditions set by the Nigerian government. These included establishing a legal entity in Nigeria, appointing a country representative to engage with Nigerian authorities, complying with Nigerian tax obligations, and agreeing to moderate content according to Nigerian laws and cultural norms.
The ban reflected the Nigerian government’s broader push to regulate social media and control online content.
The ban sparked significant backlash from Nigerians and the international community, with critics arguing that it violated freedom of expression and harmed Nigeria’s digital economy, particularly for small businesses and content creators who relied on Twitter for outreach and engagement.
The new bill sponsored by Senator Nwoko to require social media platforms to establish physical offices in Nigeria appears to be a continuation of this trend.
It reflects the government’s ongoing effort to exert more control over multinational tech companies and ensure compliance with Nigerian laws.
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