Nigeria’s Senate advances landmark bill requiring social media platforms establish physical offices

Legislation aims to boost data compliance, tax revenue, and digital accountability amid free speech concerns.

In a pivotal step toward tightening control over the digital ecosystem, the Nigerian Senate has advanced a controversial bill mandating global social media platforms and domestic bloggers to establish physical offices within the country. Sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko (APC, Delta North), the Nigeria Data Protection Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025 (SB. 650) passed its second reading on Wednesday, signaling potential sweeping changes for tech giants like Meta (Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp), X (Twitter), and TikTok, as well as Nigeria’s burgeoning blogger community.

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Key Provisions of the Bill

• • 1. Physical Office Mandate: All social media platforms with over 100,000 Nigerian users must open a registered office in Abuja, Lagos, or state capitals.
    2. Blogger Regulations:
       • Register a verifiable office in any state capital.
       • Maintain employee records and affiliate with a government-recognized bloggers’ association headquartered in Abuja.
    3. Data Compliance: Strengthen adherence to Nigeria’s Data Protection Act, ensuring user data is stored locally.
    4. Tax Enforcement: Facilitate direct taxation of digital platforms’ revenue generated in Nigeria.

Senator Nwoko’s Rationale

Leading the debate, Nwoko argued that Nigeria’s digital economy—ranked 1st in Africa and 2nd globally in social media engagement (Global Web Index)—is undermined by the absence of local offices:

• • • Economic Losses: “These platforms earn billions from Nigerian users but pay no taxes here. A physical presence ensures fair revenue sharing.”
    • Legal Accountability: “Without offices, resolving issues like hate speech, scams, or data breaches becomes impossible.”
    • Job Creation: “Local offices will create thousands of tech and compliance jobs for Nigerian youth.”

Nwoko cited Kenya’s 2022 Digital Services Tax and India’s 2021 IT Rules as successful models, emphasizing Nigeria’s right to “digital sovereignty.”

Senate Leadership’s Stance

Senate President Godswill Akpabio backed the bill’s intent but urged caution:

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• • • Referred the bill to the Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security for public hearings and stakeholder consultations, with a report due in two months.

“This isn’t about gagging media. It’s about ensuring platforms contributing to Nigeria’s economy are traceable and taxable.”

Implications & Reactions

• • • Tech Giants: Meta and X have yet to comment, but industry analysts warn compliance costs could lead to service fee hikes or restricted features.
    • Bloggers: Concerns over stifled free speech and burdensome regulations. “This will kill grassroots journalism,” said popular tech blogger Linda Ikeji.
    • Digital Rights Groups: Paradigm Initiative condemned the bill as a “veiled censorship tool,” recalling Nigeria’s 2021 Twitter ban.

Economic Context & Next Steps

• • • Nigeria’s digital economy contributes 18.44% to GDP (Q4 2024), driven by 160 million internet users.
    • The government seeks to tap into the $12B revenue global platforms earn annually from Nigerian users.

Public Hearings: Civil society, tech firms, and legal experts to weigh in.