The social media bill seeks to improve the protection of Nigeria’s cyberspace and strengthen regulatory engagement with global technology companies
By Deborah Hassan
365Daily – A bill seeking to compel social media companies operating in Nigeria to establish physical offices in the country has received strong backing from stakeholders at a public hearing organised by the Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security.
The proposed legislation, sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North), seeks to amend the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023 to make it mandatory for social media platforms with Nigerian users to maintain a physical presence in the country.
The public hearing also considered a second bill sponsored by Senator Yemi Adaramodu (Ekiti South) for the establishment of an Artificial Intelligence Academy in Omuo-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
Stakeholders expressed support for the proposal, describing it as a step toward developing Nigeria’s AI talent and research capacity.
Speaking at the hearing, Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security, Senator Shuaib Salisu (Ogun Central), said both bills were designed to strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy.
According to him, the social media bill seeks to improve the protection of Nigeria’s cyberspace and strengthen regulatory engagement with global technology companies, while the AI Academy bill aims to create a centre of excellence for artificial intelligence education, research and innovation.
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, represented by Deputy Senate Leader Senator Lola Ashiru (Kwara South), described the two proposals as forward-looking and nationally significant.
He said the bills reflected the Senate’s commitment to enacting laws that promote innovation, digital development and good governance.
Akpabio, however, dismissed concerns that the bill requiring physical offices for social media companies was intended to restrict digital platforms.
He said the legislation was designed to improve engagement between technology companies and Nigerian authorities, not to discourage investment or innovation.
Defending the bill, Senator Nwoko insisted that the proposal was not punitive.
“This Bill is neither punitive nor hostile to innovation. It is not designed to frustrate investment or discourage technology companies from operating in Nigeria.
“On the contrary, it seeks to deepen their engagement with Nigeria by encouraging them to become true corporate citizens of our country.”
The lawmaker argued that several countries with smaller populations and digital markets than Nigeria already host regional offices of global technology companies, including Meta, Google, TikTok, LinkedIn and X.
According to him, these offices handle engineering, artificial intelligence research, legal and regulatory compliance, public policy, customer support, advertising, cloud services and product development.
Nwoko said countries such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Singapore, India, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa and Brazil had attracted technology investments by encouraging global digital companies to establish local operations.
He noted that the presence of such companies had created thousands of jobs, increased tax revenue, strengthened regulatory cooperation and promoted technology transfer.
Using Ireland as an example, the senator said the country’s emergence as one of Europe’s leading technology hubs was driven by the presence of major technology firms.
He questioned why Nigeria, despite having Africa’s largest digital market, had yet to secure similar investments.
“If countries with significantly smaller populations and digital markets than Nigeria have secured these investments and benefits, why should Nigeria continue to stand on the sidelines? Why should Africa’s largest digital market not enjoy the same opportunities?”
The Senate Committee is expected to review submissions made during the public hearing before presenting its report to the Senate for further legislative consideration.