The Senate has passed for second reading a bill seeking to compel major social media platforms, including Facebook, X, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat, to establish physical offices in Nigeria.
The proposed amendment to the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, was sponsored by Sen. Ned Nwoko (APC, Delta North).
It also seeks to require bloggers operating in Nigeria to maintain verifiable offices in the country.
Leading the debate, Nwoko said Nigeria has one of the largest social media user bases in Africa, yet many global technology companies operate in the country without local offices.
He said, "Nigeria is too important a market to be treated as a mere offshore jurisdiction."
The lawmaker argued that the absence of local offices limits regulatory oversight, weakens enforcement of data protection laws, reduces tax revenue and denies Nigerians access to timely customer support.
Nwoko also said, "The bill is not an attack on social media platforms.
"It is a call for equity, accountability and respect for Nigeria's digital economy."
Supporting the bill, Senate President Godswill Akpabio said lawmakers should not see the proposal as an attempt to silence social media users.
Akpabio said, "This bill is not intended to gag social media.
"It is intended to ensure that those who do business in Nigeria have a physical presence and can be held accountable where necessary."
The Senate referred the bill to the Committee on ICT and Cyber Security for further legislative work before it returns for consideration.
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