Data Protection Act scales 2nd reading in Senate
By Blessing Emmanuel
The Nigerian Senate has advanced a bill seeking to amend the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, with the proposal successfully scaling its second reading on Tuesday.
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 (SB. 650),” was sponsored by Senator Ned Munir Nwoko (APC, Delta North).
The proposed amendment aims to compel major social media companies—such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat—to establish physical offices in Nigeria. Senator Nwoko emphasised that despite the country’s vast digital footprint, these platforms currently lack official physical offices within the nation, unlike in many other countries.
According to Nwoko, Nigeria ranks first in Africa and second globally in terms of social media usage, with an average engagement of three hours and 46 minutes daily, yet the absence of local offices creates economic and regulatory challenges.
He outlined several issues that arise from the lack of physical offices by social media giants in Nigeria, including limited local representation, missed opportunities for job creation, technology transfer, and digital innovation, as well as challenges in enforcing local data protection laws and resolving disputes involving Nigerian users.
The bill also introduces new requirements for bloggers, mandating that they establish verifiable offices in any of Nigeria’s capital cities, maintain proper employee records, and register under a recognised national association of bloggers, headquartered in Abuja.
Nwoko argued that this measure would enhance accountability, transparency, and professionalism in Nigeria’s digital media space, similar to the structure in traditional media organisations.
After the second reading, Senate President Godswill Akpabio referred the bill to the Senate Committee on ICT and Cybersecurity, directing the committee to report back within two months.
