Senate wants Facebook, X, Whatsapp, others to open physical offices in Nigeria

…Nigerians not rewarded enough for high patronage – Sen. Ned Nwoko

A bill has passed its second reading in the Senate, proposing that social media platforms establish physical offices in Nigeria.

The piece of legislation, titled “A Bill for an Act to Amend the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2003, to Make it Mandatory for Social Media Platforms to Have Physical Offices within Nigeria and for other Related Matters, 2025,” was sponsored by Sen. Ned Nwoko (APC, Delta-North).

Nwoko described Nigeria as a major social media hub, topping the charts in Africa and ranking second globally in terms of usage, citing a Global Web Index report by Business Insider Africa.

According to the lawmaker, with an estimated population of 220 million, Nigerian social media users spend an average of three hours and forty-six minutes online daily.

“Platforms such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, Whatsapp, You Tube, TikTok and Snapchat, have become indispensable to millions of our people.

“These platforms are not just tools for communication; they are ecosystems that influence our politics, shape public opinions, drive entrepreneurship and provide avenues for education and entertainment,” he said.

However, Sen. Nwoko observed that despite the high participation of Nigerians on social media, the platforms had not deemed it necessary to establish physical offices in Nigeria.

He noted that while they had no physical offices in Nigeria, the platforms had established such offices in other climes, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, India, Singapore, and Australia “where they maintain offices to address regional concerns, manage content policies, and build partnerships.”

The senator further argued that the disadvantages of not having physical offices in the country ranged from limited local representation and missed economic opportunities to difficulties in seeking redress.

He clarified that the bill was not an attack on social media operations but rather a “demand for respect and recognition of Nigeria’s status as a global leader in digital engagement.”

The bill also includes a provision requiring bloggers to have registered, traceable offices for the purposes of seeking redress and for taxation.

The bill, which was not opposed by any senator, successfully passed its second reading.

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Commenting on the bill, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, clarified that it contained no provisions to gag social media or prevent freedom of expression.

On bloggers, Akpabio specifically explained that they really might not need to have a physical office, as they could write from their homes, cars, a garden or anywhere convenient for them.

“So, let us be very clear, this is not a bill to prevent freedom of expression,” he added.

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