The Nigerian Senate has passed the second reading of a bill mandating social media platforms and bloggers to establish physical offices within the country.
Sponsored by Senator Ned Munir Nwoko (APC, Delta North), the bill seeks to amend the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, to enforce local representation by tech giants such as Facebook, X, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat.
Senator Nwoko argued that despite Nigeria’s significant digital presence—ranking first in Africa and second globally in social media usage—these platforms operate without physical offices in the country. He cited economic losses, limited local representation, and challenges in legal and data protection compliance as key concerns.
The bill also proposes stricter regulations for bloggers, requiring them to have verifiable offices in any state capital, maintain proper employee records, and register with a recognized national association headquartered in Abuja.
The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, has referred the bill to the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, which is expected to report back in two months.
