Senate, Tuesday, continued with the legislative process on a bill seeking social media platforms to establish physical offices within the country.
Specifically, the piece of 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 (APC Delta North), passed second reading during plenary.
This is as some civil society organisations called on the federal government to consider global practices and standards in the implementation of laws on the practice of social media in the country.
Leading debate on the bill that passed first reading on November 21, 2024, Senator Nwoko said it is not only of national importance, but also central to Nigeria’s sovereignty, economy, and technological development as it “seeks to correct a glaring omission in 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.
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 was long overdue.
“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.
Reacting, a public affairs analyst, Mr Jide Ojo opined that the bill wasn’t necessarily about controlling the content of social media platforms but about the financial benefits that Nigeria could gain from them.
He hoped that this bill that required social media platforms to establish physical offices in Nigeria wouldn’t affect the broader landscape of social media regulation.
“Still, it is undeniable that social media has a darker side. Fraudsters, also known as “Yahoo boys,” have taken advantage of these platforms to perpetrate scams, taking advantage of unsuspecting users. While these abuses ware real, they do not overshadow the immense benefits social media offer to millions of Nigerians.
“Despite the risks, the platform itself is not the problem. The real challenge lies in finding a balance between regulation and freedom.”
Also, the Executive Director, CISLAC Auwal Ibrahim Musa Rafsanjani while reacting to this said the idea of mandating the platforms to maintain physical offices in Nigeria, while seemingly well-intentioned, is outdated and impractical approach.
He said social media companies like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram do not operate from within Nigeria’s borders, and as such, compelling them to set up physical presence in the country seems unrealistic and counterproductive.
“So, to impose laws that attempt to restrict the free flow of information or impose unnecessary barriers on global companies would only hinder progress, not foster it.
“Social media is an essential tool in today’s world, providing access to information, opportunities, and global networks.
Restricting freedom of expression or trying to control the digital space in unrealistic ways would not only fail but could also harm the country’s digital economy and international relationships.”