Stakeholders have thrown their weight behind a Senate bill seeking to compel social media platforms operating in Nigeria to establish physical offices in the country.
The endorsement came on Thursday during a public hearing organised by the Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security on two proposed legislations: a bill to amend the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, and another seeking to establish an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Academy in Omuo-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
The first bill, sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko (APC, Delta North), proposes that social media platforms, data controllers and data processors with operations in Nigeria maintain functional offices within the country. The second bill, sponsored by Senator Yemi Adaramodu (APC, Ekiti South), seeks to establish an AI Academy to advance education and research in artificial intelligence.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security, Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu (APC, Ogun Central), said the social media bill would strengthen Nigeria’s digital ecosystem, while the AI Academy would serve as a centre of excellence for AI education and innovation.
Declaring the hearing open, Senate President Godswill Akpabio, represented by Deputy Senate Leader Senator Lola Ashiru (APC, Kwara South), described both bills as forward-looking initiatives aimed at strengthening governance and driving technological development.
Akpabio said the proposed requirement for social media companies to establish offices in Nigeria was not intended to hinder their operations but to improve engagement with regulators and users.
Speaking at the hearing, Nwoko insisted that the bill was not anti-investment or anti-innovation.
“This Bill is not punitive. It seeks to deepen the engagement of global technology companies with Nigeria by encouraging them to become responsible corporate citizens,” he said.
He noted that countries such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, Singapore, India, Brazil, South Africa and Japan have benefited from the local presence of global technology firms through job creation, improved regulatory compliance and technology transfer.
According to him, Nigeria, as Africa’s largest digital market, deserves similar economic and technological benefits.
Nwoko said requiring technology companies to establish local offices would strengthen national security through better collaboration with authorities, improve enforcement of data protection laws, enhance consumer protection, boost tax compliance and create employment opportunities.
He added that the legislation would also encourage technology transfer by fostering collaboration between multinational tech companies, Nigerian professionals, startups and educational institutions.
The senator recalled that the bill, which passed second reading in March, was introduced in response to the absence of physical offices of major platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, X, YouTube, TikTok and Snapchat despite their large user base in Nigeria.
He added that the proposed legislation also contains provisions aimed at improving accountability and professionalism among bloggers and other digital content creators, while ensuring multinational technology firms contribute more directly to Nigeria’s economy and regulatory framework.