The Senate has won broad stakeholder support for a bill that would require global social media and technology companies operating in Nigeria to establish physical offices in the country, aimed at strengthening national security, data protection and job creation.
The endorsement came during a public hearing on a bill sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko seeking to amend the Nigeria Data Protection Act to require social media platforms to maintain a physical presence in Nigeria. Stakeholders at the hearing also backed a separate bill from Senator Yemi Adaramodu proposing a National Artificial Intelligence Academy in Omuo Ekiti as a centre for AI education and research.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio, represented by Deputy Senate Leader Oyelola Ashiru, rejected suggestions that the proposal amounts to censorship, saying it is instead meant to ensure accountability and responsiveness to lawful requests while strengthening protection of citizens’ digital rights. Nwoko argued that Nigeria, as Africa’s largest digital market, should not continue allowing global platforms to profit from Nigerian users without establishing local operations, paying appropriate taxes or employing Nigerians directly, pointing to countries including the United Kingdom, India and South Africa where major technology companies maintain multiple local offices. He also linked the absence of local offices to security gaps, citing a kidnapping case in Oyo State where suspects reportedly coordinated through a social media platform that had no local presence for security agencies to engage directly.
Adaramodu said Nigeria must invest aggressively in artificial intelligence education to remain competitive globally, noting that with most of the population young and digitally engaged, the country cannot afford to fall behind in AI development.
