Senate moves to enforce physical offices for Facebook, Bloggers, other Social Media platforms in Nigeria

The Nigerian Senate has advanced a bill that seeks to amend the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, by mandating social media platforms to establish physical offices within the country.

The proposed 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),” was sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North.

While presenting the bill, Senator Nwoko spoke on Nigeria’s prominence in the digital space, pointing that the country, with over 220 million people, ranks first in Africa and second globally in social media usage, spending an average of three hours and 46 minutes daily online, as reported by Business Insider Africa.

Despite this high engagement, he noted that major social media platforms such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat do not have physical offices in Nigeria, unlike in other countries.

He pointed out that this absence has led to challenges such as limited local representation, economic losses, and difficulties in enforcing legal and data protection regulations.

Additionally, the bill introduces new requirements for bloggers operating within Nigeria. It stipulates that all bloggers must:

– Have a verifiable office in any state capital.

– Maintain proper records of employees.

– Be registered with a recognized national association of bloggers headquartered in Abuja.

Senator Nwoko explained that these measures aim to ensure accountability, transparency, and professionalism in the country’s digital media landscape, similar to traditional media organizations.

He also stressed that the bill is not meant to target social media platforms but to ensure fair treatment and recognition of Nigeria’s significant role in digital engagement.

Reacting to the bill, Senate President Godswill Akpabio acknowledged the benefits of requiring digital platforms to have a local address but expressed the need for careful evaluation regarding the regulation of bloggers.

“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 a public hearing for better clarity,” Akpabio stated.

He further made it clear that the bill is not aimed at restricting social media but rather at ensuring proper taxation and record-keeping for digital platforms operating in Nigeria.

“I was looking to see if it intends to gag bloggers, but I haven’t seen that, so we wait for it to get to the stage of public hearing,” he added.

The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security, which is expected to present its report within two months.