Senate Bill Requiring Social Media Offices in Nigeria Gains Stakeholder Support at Public Hearing

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Senate Bill Requiring Social Media Offices in Nigeria Gains Stakeholder Support at Public Hearing

The Nigerian Senate’s legislative push to compel social media platforms operating in the country to establish physical offices received significant acceleration on Thursday, as the majority of stakeholders at a public hearing endorsed the proposal, while also backing a separate bill for the establishment of an Artificial Intelligence Academy in Ekiti State.

The public hearing, organised by the Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security at the National Assembly in Abuja, provided a platform for robust debate on two landmark bills that seek to position Nigeria as a competitive player in the global digital economy. The first bill, sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko (APC, Delta North), is titled: “A Bill for an Act to Alter 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 other related matters”. The second bill, sponsored by Senator Yemi Adaramodu (Ekiti South), seeks to establish an Artificial Intelligence Academy in Omuo-Ekiti, Ekiti State, to serve as a centre of excellence for AI education, research and innovation.

In his opening address, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security, Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu (Ogun Central), explained that while the social media bill was designed to strengthen Nigeria’s digital ecosystem and improve regulatory engagement with global technology companies, the AI Academy bill seeks to provide a hub for artificial intelligence research and development. The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, who was represented by the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Lola Ashiru (Kwara South), described the two bills as forward-looking and nationally significant legislative proposals that reflect the Senate’s enduring commitment to improved lawmaking and good governance. He specifically declared that the bill seeking to mandate social media platforms to establish physical offices is not intended to stifle innovation but to enhance accountability and their contribution to the country’s economy.

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Senator Nwoko, in his submissions at the public hearing, offered strong assurances that the bill is neither punitive nor hostile to innovation. “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,” he stated. The lawmaker argued that requiring physical presence by operators of social media platforms is a common practice in other countries that are even smaller in size and population than Nigeria. He noted that around the world, major technology companies have established headquarters, regional offices, engineering centres and operational hubs in countries such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Spain, Singapore, India, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Brazil, Australia and Japan. Some of these companies maintain multiple offices within the same country. For instance, Meta operates major facilities in Dublin, Cork and Clonee in Ireland, while its United Kingdom operations span King’s Cross and Brock Street in London. Google maintains multiple offices in London, Dublin, Sydney, São Paulo, Munich and Tokyo, with more than one campus in several of those cities. These offices perform diverse functions ranging from engineering and artificial intelligence research to legal and regulatory compliance, public policy, advertising, trust and safety, cloud services, sales, customer support and product development. Nwoko noted that these countries did not attract such investments by accident, but recognised early that the digital economy is now as important as the traditional economy. By encouraging global technology companies to establish local operations, they have created employment, expanded tax revenues, strengthened regulatory engagement, promoted innovation and encouraged technology transfer to their citizens.

The lawmaker pointed to Ireland as an example, noting that the presence of companies including Meta, Google, LinkedIn, TikTok and X had transformed the country into one of Europe’s leading technology hubs. These companies employ thousands of professionals, contribute substantially to the Irish economy and work directly with regulators and government institutions. The presence of these companies has also helped develop local technology talent, stimulate innovation and attract further foreign investment. “The question therefore is simple: 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?” he asked.

While the proposal received overwhelming support from many stakeholders, there were also dissenting voices. The Chairman of the Practitioners of Content Creating, Influencers and Skit Makers Guild of Nigeria, Obinna Nwanfo, strongly backed the bill, stating that many social media platforms often have policies unfavourable to content creators, making it difficult to resolve complaints relating to the loss of followers and account restrictions. However, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the Nigeria Internet Registration Association (NIRA) expressed concerns. The President-elect of the NBA, Oyinkansola Badejo-Okusanya, advised the committee to amend the bill to require platforms to appoint local representatives instead of mandating physical offices, recommending that the proposed 30-day compliance timeline be extended to at least 180 days. Similarly, NIRA’s Chief Operating Officer, Seyi Onasanya, suggested that requiring physical offices alone would not be sufficient, and that the government should require platforms to host their data on Nigeria’s domain or within the country’s jurisdiction. Other organisations that participated in the public hearing included Paradigm Initiative, the Nigerian Youths of Social Media Analysts, Digital Civic, the Middle Belt Youth Congress and the Nigerian Female Youth Organisation. Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) has opposed the bill, describing it as an attempt by the Federal Government to silence Nigerians ahead of the 2027 general election. The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) also asked the National Assembly to withdraw the bill, warning that it could lead to the exclusion or shutdown of social media platforms and violate the rights of millions of Nigerians.

The Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security is expected to review stakeholder submissions and make recommendations for further legislative consideration before presenting its report to the Senate. The committee’s decision will determine whether the bill proceeds to the next stage of the legislative process.