Senate advances bill to regulate social media, bloggers in Nigeria
By Kunle Sanni
The Nigerian Senate has taken a significant step toward regulating social media platforms and bloggers, as a bill mandating the physical presence of social media companies in Nigeria and formalizing the registration of bloggers passed its second reading on Tuesday.
This marks the Senate’s second attempt at social media regulation, following an unsuccessful effort during the Ninth National Assembly. That earlier attempt was abandoned after facing widespread criticism from stakeholders who saw it as a potential threat to free speech, protected under Section 39 of the Constitution.
According to a report by The Nation newspaper, the proposed legislation aims to ensure that bloggers are properly registered and regulated to promote professionalism, transparency, and accountability in their activities. It also seeks to require social media companies operating in Nigeria to establish physical offices within the country.
The bill, officially titled “A Bill for an Act to Alter the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, LFN, 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, 2024,” was sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko (PDP, Delta North). He argued that the law is necessary to address gaps in the way multinational social media companies interact with Nigeria.
In his lead debate, Nwoko described the proposal as a matter of national importance, emphasizing its relevance to Nigeria’s sovereignty, economic interests, and technological progress. He noted that the bill was initially introduced in the Senate on November 21, 2023.
Highlighting Nigeria’s heavy reliance on digital platforms, Nwoko pointed out that the country has over 220 million people and ranks first in Africa and second globally in daily social media usage, averaging three hours and 46 minutes online per day. He emphasized the dominance of platforms such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat in the daily lives of Nigerians.
According to Nwoko, the absence of a physical presence for these platforms in Nigeria causes delays in resolving user complaints, addressing regulatory issues, and managing content moderation challenges specific to the country. He argued that requiring social media companies to establish offices would bridge this gap.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio urged the bill’s sponsor to ensure that its purpose is not misunderstood as an attempt to suppress free speech. He assured that a public hearing would allow stakeholders to thoroughly examine the bill and ensure that it does not infringe upon freedom of expression or media rights in Nigeria.
