The Senate has passed through second reading a bill aimed at amending the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, which would mandate...
The Senate has passed through second reading a bill aimed at amending the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, which would mandate social media platforms to establish physical offices within the country.
The bill, 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),” was sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North.
In his presentation, Senator Nwoko emphasised Nigeria’s position as Africa’s most populous nation, with over 220 million people and a prominent digital footprint.
Citing a Global Web Index report, Nwoko noted that Nigeria ranks first in Africa and second globally in social media usage, with Nigerians spending an average of three hours and 46 minutes daily online.
Despite this massive digital presence, Nwoko pointed out that major multinational social media platforms such as Facebook, X, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat do not have physical offices in Nigeria, unlike their operations in other countries.
This lack of local representation, he argued, leads to several challenges, including economic losses and difficulties in ensuring legal and data protection compliance.
Nwoko clarified that the bill is not an attack on these platforms but rather a call for fairness, highlighting Nigeria’s global influence in digital engagement and urging social media giants to respect this by establishing a local presence.
In support of the bill, Senate President Godswill Akpabio acknowledged the importance of having a physical address for digital platforms in Nigeria.
However, he also noted that regulating bloggers, in particular, would require a careful and balanced approach to avoid potential overreach.
He stated: ‘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."
No comments