A bill seeking to amend the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, and requiring social media platforms to establish physical offices within the country has passed second reading.
The bill was sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North).
Leading the debate, Senator Nwoko noted that Nigeria as Africa’s most populous nation with over 220 million people had 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 noted 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, including limited local representation; economic losses as well as challenges in legal and data protection compliance.
The bill also proposed new regulations for bloggers operating in Nigeria, mandating all bloggers to establish a verifiable office in any of the capital cities across the country; maintain proper employee records; and belong to a recognized national association of bloggers headquartered in Abuja.
According to Senator Nwoko, this measure is intended to promote accountability, transparency, and professionalism in Nigeria’s digital media space, similar to traditional media houses.
Speaking on the bill, the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, acknowledged that while having a local address for digital platforms was beneficial, the regulation of bloggers required careful consideration.
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.”
