Senate Moves to Mandate Social Media Platforms to Establish Offices in Nigeria

By Iyojo Ameh

The Nigerian Senate on Tuesday advanced a bill seeking to compel social media companies to establish physical offices in the country.

The proposed legislation, sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko, passed its second reading with overwhelming support from lawmakers. Titled “A Bill for an Act to Amend the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, to Make it Mandatory for Social Media Platforms to Have Physical Offices Within Nigeria and for Other Related Matters, 2025,” the bill aims to strengthen regulatory oversight and data protection enforcement.

If passed into law, social media giants like Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter) would be required to maintain physical offices in Nigeria to enhance compliance with local laws.

The bill has now been referred to the relevant Senate committee for further legislative scrutiny before proceeding to the third reading.