The Senate on Thursday moved closer to requiring major social media companies operating in Nigeria to establish physical offices in the country, following widespread support for the proposal during a public hearing in Abuja.
The hearing, organised by the Senate Committee on Information and Communications Technology and Cyber Security, also considered a separate bill seeking to establish an Artificial Intelligence Academy in Omuo-Ekiti, Ekiti State.
The social media bill, sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North), proposes an amendment to the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, to make it mandatory for global social media companies operating in Nigeria to maintain physical offices within the country.
The AI Academy bill is sponsored by Senator Yemi Adaramodu (Ekiti South), Chairman of the Senate Committee on Media and Publicity.
Opening the hearing, Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security, Senator Shuaib Salisu (Ogun Central), said both bills were designed to strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy and position the country for technological growth.
According to him, the social media bill is intended to improve regulation, accountability and data protection, while the AI Academy would serve as a national centre for artificial intelligence education, research and innovation.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, represented by Deputy Senate Leader Senator Lola Ashiru (Kwara South), described both proposals as timely and important to Nigeria’s future.
He said the move to require social media companies to establish offices in Nigeria was not aimed at restricting their operations but at promoting stronger engagement, accountability and compliance with local laws.
Speaking in support of the bill, Nwoko rejected claims that the legislation was hostile to technology companies or foreign investment.
“This bill is neither punitive nor hostile to innovation. It is not designed to frustrate investment or discourage technology companies from operating in Nigeria.
Rather, it seeks to deepen their engagement with Nigeria by encouraging them to become responsible corporate citizens,” he said.
The senator noted that countries including the United Kingdom, India, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Brazil, Japan, Singapore and the Netherlands have successfully attracted global technology firms to establish local offices.
He explained that those offices support engineering, artificial intelligence research, legal compliance, customer service, public policy, cloud services, advertising, trust and safety, sales and product development.
According to him, countries that welcomed technology companies have benefited from increased employment, tax revenue, technology transfer, innovation and stronger regulatory cooperation.
Using Ireland as an example, Nwoko said the presence of companies such as Meta, Google, LinkedIn, TikTok and X had helped transform the country into one of Europe’s leading technology hubs.
He argued that Nigeria, as Africa’s largest digital market, should enjoy similar benefits.
“If countries with much smaller populations and digital markets than Nigeria have attracted these investments, why should Nigeria continue to miss out on the same opportunities?” he asked.
The Senate committee is expected to review memoranda submitted by stakeholders before presenting its recommendations to the Senate for further legislative consideration.
