Sen. Nwoko argued that the absence of local offices for Facebook and others limits regulatory oversight, hampers data protection enforcement, and results in economic losses for Nigeria.
The senate has passed for second reading a bill seeking to amend the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, mandating social media platforms to set up physical offices within the country.
The bill 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,” was sponsored by Sen. Ned Nwoko (APC, Delta north) during Tuesday’s plenary.
While leading the debate on the floor, Sen. Nwoko underscored Nigeria’s significant digital footprint, noting that with over 220 million people the country ranks first in Africa and second globally for social media usage, with Nigerians spending an average of three hours and 46 minutes daily online, according to a Global Web Index report cited by Business Insider Africa.
He expressed concern that despite Nigeria’s large online population, major social media platforms such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat operate without physical offices in the country, a sharp contrast to their presence in other regions.
Nwoko argued that the absence of local offices limits regulatory oversight, hampers data protection enforcement, and results in economic losses for Nigeria.
According to him, the bill also proposes regulatory requirements for bloggers operating within the country including mandating that bloggers establish a verifiable office in any of the nation’s capital cities, maintain proper records of their employees, and register with a recognised national association of bloggers with its headquarters in Abuja.
Nwoko further disclosed that these measures aim to promote accountability, professionalism, and transparency in Nigeria’s digital media landscape, aligning bloggers with standards applied to traditional media organisations.
Clarifying the bill’s intent, Nwoko stressed that it is not targeted at stifling free speech or social media activities but seeks to ensure equity and proper recognition of Nigeria’s status as a major player in global digital engagement.
The bill was seconded by Sen. Kenneth Eze (APC, Ebonyi central).
The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, while supporting the general principle of the bill, noted that regulating bloggers would require careful scrutiny.
“It is 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 public hearing for much more streamlined clarity.”
He emphasised that the bill should not be misconstrued as an attempt to gag social media or digital voices but as a move towards ensuring compliance, proper taxation, and effective record-keeping by 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 thereafter referred to the Committee on ICT and Cyber Security to report back in two months.
