The Senate’s push to compel global social media companies operating in Nigeria to establish physical offices in the country received a major boost on Thursday as stakeholders endorsed the proposed legislation during a public hearing organised by the Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security.
The stakeholders also threw their weight behind a separate bill seeking the establishment of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Academy in Omuo-Ekiti, Ekiti State, describing both proposals as timely and critical to Nigeria’s digital future.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North), seeks to amend the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 to make it mandatory for social media platforms operating in Nigeria to maintain physical offices within the country.
Chairman of the Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security, Senator Shuaib Afolabi Salisu (Ogun Central), said the two bills address key national priorities. He explained that while the social media office bill would strengthen Nigeria’s digital regulation and cybersecurity framework, the proposed AI Academy would serve as a centre of excellence for artificial intelligence education, innovation and research.
President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, represented by the Deputy Senate Leader, Senator Lola Ashiru (Kwara South), described the bills as forward-looking initiatives that reflect the Senate’s commitment to progressive legislation and good governance.
Akpabio stressed that the proposed law compelling social media companies to establish offices in Nigeria was not intended to stifle innovation or discourage investment, but to promote accountability and stronger engagement with the country.
Echoing the Senate President’s position, Senator Nwoko dismissed concerns that the legislation could drive away investors, insisting that it was designed to deepen the involvement of global technology firms in Nigeria’s economy.
“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 true corporate citizens of our country,” he said.
Nwoko argued that Nigeria, as Africa’s largest digital market, deserves the same level of commitment that global technology companies have shown in countries such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, Singapore, India, the United Arab Emirates, South Africa, Brazil, Australia and Japan.
He noted that firms such as Meta and Google operate multiple offices across several countries, with those facilities serving as major centres for engineering, artificial intelligence research, legal compliance, public policy, cloud services, customer support, advertising and product development.
According to him, countries that encouraged such investments have benefited from increased employment, higher tax revenues, improved regulatory engagement, technology transfer and stronger innovation ecosystems.
Using Ireland as an example, Nwoko said the country had emerged as one of Europe’s leading technology hubs because companies including Meta, Google, LinkedIn, TikTok and X established significant operations there, creating thousands of jobs while supporting economic growth and digital innovation.
He challenged critics of the bill to explain why Nigeria should not enjoy similar benefits despite having Africa’s largest digital market.
“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 asked.
The public hearing underscored the Senate’s determination to strengthen regulation of global technology firms while positioning Nigeria to become a major player in artificial intelligence through the proposed AI Academy in Omuo-Ekiti.
