A bill that would require social media companies in the nation to have physical offices as well as to register and regulate Nigerian bloggers was approved by the Senate on Tuesday for second reading.
Recall that this is the Senate’s second attempt to control social media in the nation.
After intense protest and broad criticism from stakeholders who saw it as an attempt to censor the media and a violation of Section 39 of the Constitution, which protects the right to free speech, its initial attempt during the ninth Senate had failed.
“Every person shall have the right to freedom of expression, including the right to hold opinions and the right to receive and influence ideas and information without hindrance,” the provision states.
“Bloggers must be properly registered and regulated to ensure professionalism, transparency, and responsibility in their operations,” according to the Bill and other proposals.
The sponsor, Senator Ned Nwoko (APC – Delta North), claims that the bill, “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,” “seeks to correct a glaring omission in how multinational social media companies engage with our country.”
The law touches on a “matter that is not only of national importance but is also central to Nigeria’s sovereignty, economy, and technological development,” according to Nwoko, who led the debate.
He mentioned that on Thursday, November 21, 2024, the Bill was read for the first time.
Nigeria is not just the most populated nation in Africa, but it is also among the most active in terms of internet involvement, he claims.
With over 220 million users, he claimed that social media has become an integral part of peoples’ daily lives. “Nigerians rank first in Africa and second globally in terms of daily social media usage, spending an average of 3 hours and 46 minutes online, according to the Global Web Index as reported by Business Insider Africa.” He said that platforms like Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat have become essential to millions of our people.
“These platforms are ecosystems that impact our politics, mold public opinion, spur entrepreneurship, and offer channels for entertainment and education. They are more than just tools for communication.”
However, he pointed out that “these multinational corporations have no physical offices in Nigeria,” despite the vast user base and the value created by Nigerian involvement.
Their presence in other nations, including the US, Canada, UK, Germany, India, Singapore, and Australia, “where they maintain offices to address regional concerns, manage content policies, and build partnerships,” he said, contrasts sharply with this development.
According to him, there are several significant issues with these social media behemoths’ lack of real presence in Nigeria, such as limited local representation, lost business possibilities, and trouble getting complaints addressed.
