Senate pushes bill mandating Nigeria offices for Meta, Google, X
The senate bill proposing that social media companies such as Meta, Google and X establish physical offices in Nigeria has moved forward after receiving strong backing from stakeholders during a public hearing.
Sponsored by Ned Nwoko, the senator representing Delta North, the proposed amendment to the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 seeks to make it compulsory for social media platforms operating in Nigeria to have physical offices within the country.
The bill came up for discussion on Thursday at a public hearing convened by the senate committee on ICT and cyber security.
Addressing participants at the hearing, Shuaib Salisu, chairman of the committee, said the proposed social media legislation is aimed at improving the protection of Nigeria’s cyberspace, while the AI academy bill seeks to establish a centre of excellence for artificial intelligence education and research.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who was represented by Deputy Senate Leader Lola Ashiru, described both proposals as forward-looking bills “that reflects the senate’s commitment to improving governance through legislation.”
He said the requirement for social media firms to operate physical offices in Nigeria was not designed to hinder innovation or drive away investors.
Akpabio added that several global technology companies already have offices in countries with smaller populations and digital economies than Nigeria.
“This bill is neither punitive nor hostile to innovation. It is not designed to frustrate investment or discourage technology companies from operating in Nigeria,” he said.
“On the contrary, it seeks to deepen their engagement with Nigeria by encouraging them to become true corporate citizens of our country.”
He listed the United Kingdom (UK), the Netherlands, Spain, Singapore, India, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), South Africa, Brazil, Australia and Japan among countries that host regional headquarters and operational centres for major technology firms.
According to him, the offices perform key functions, including engineering, AI research, legal and regulatory compliance, public policy, cloud services, customer support and product development.
Nwoko said the presence of the companies in those countries has generated employment opportunities, increased tax revenue, improved regulatory collaboration, encouraged technology transfer and attracted foreign investment.
“The question therefore is simple: if countries with significantly smaller populations and digital markets than Nigeria have secured these investments and benefits, why should Nigeria continue to stand on the sidelines? Why should Africa’s largest digital market not enjoy the same opportunities?” he said.
