The Senate on Tuesday passed for second reading, a bill mandating social media platforms to have physical and verifiable offices within Nigeria.

The bill also proposed that bloggers operating in Nigeria must have clear records and data of their employees.

Also on Tuesday, the Senate set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the alleged annexation of maritime territories, mangrove islands, and villages of the Effiat clan in Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom by neighbouring Cameroon.

The proposed social media legislation was titled, “A Bill for an Act to amend the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, to mandate the establishment of physical offices within the territorial boundaries of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by social media platforms, and for related matters (SB.648).”

The Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, declared the passage of the bill for second reading during plenary after most of the senators supported it through voice votes.

The bill was referred to the Senate Committee on Information Communication Technology (ICT) and Cyber Security for further deliberation and a public hearing.

The committee was directed to report back within two months.

The bill also proposed that bloggers operating in Nigeria must have clear records and data of their employees.

It was sponsored by Ned Nwoko, the senator representing Delta North Senatorial District.

Nwoko, while leading the debate on the proposed legislation, argued that it would ensure that digital businesses contribute a certain percentage to Nigeria’s revenue.

He said the bill was not proposed to attack social media platforms but as a way of increasing the revenue of the country through the digital space.

The senator explained that the inability of social media platforms to have identifiable physical offices in Nigeria has led to several challenges.

He listed the challenges to include limited representation for resolving user complaints, managing content specific to Nigeria, increasing loss of economic opportunities, employment generation, and legal compliance

He said, “I rise this day to lead the debate on a matter that is not only of national importance but is also central to Nigeria’s sovereignty, economy, and technological development.

“The bill before us seeks to correct a glaring omission in how multinational social media companies engage with our country.

“This bill was read for the first time on Thursday, November 21, 2024.

“Our dear nation, Nigeria, is not just the most populous country in Africa; we are also one of the most active when it comes to digital engagement.

“With over 220 million people, social media has become an essential part of our daily lives.

“According to the Global Web Index as reported by Business Insider Africa, Nigerians rank first in Africa and second globally in terms of daily social media usage, spending an average of three hours and 46 minutes online.

“Platforms such as Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat have become indispensable to millions of our people.

“These platforms are not just tools of communication; they are ecosystems that influence our politics, shape public opinion, drive entrepreneurship, and provide avenues for education and entertainment.

“However, despite the enormous user base and the value generated from Nigerian participation, these multinational corporations have no physical offices in Nigeria.

“This stands in sharp contrast to their presence in other countries such as the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, India, Singapore, and Australia, where they maintain offices to address regional concerns, manage content policies, and build partnerships.

“The absence of physical offices for these social media giants in Nigeria presents major challenges, including limited local representation,” he said.

He also said the lack of a local presence of social media platforms creates a disconnect between the platforms and their Nigerian user base.

Nwoko said the absence of physical offices has deprived Nigerians of numerous opportunities.

He added, “Economically, it denies Nigeria the benefits of job creation in areas such as customer service, content moderation, legal compliance, and marketing.

“Imagine the thousands of young Nigerians who could be employed by these companies, gaining valuable skills and contributing to our economy.

“Technology transfer is another area where Nigeria stands to benefit immensely. Countries like China and South Korea became leaders in electronics and automobile manufacturing by fostering local partnerships with foreign firms and adapting their technologies.

“If these social media giants establish a local presence, Nigerian engineers, developers, and tech professionals will have the opportunity to learn from some of the best minds in the world and adapt cutting-edge technologies.

“The legal implications of their absence are equally concerning. Without physical offices in Nigeria, enforcing data protection laws, resolving disputes, and safeguarding user rights becomes a complex process.

“This bill seeks to simplify this process by ensuring that these platforms are physically present to respond to the unique needs of their Nigerian users and comply with our laws.

“This bill, therefore, is not an attack on these platforms. It is a call for equity and fairness. It is a demand for respect and recognition of Nigeria’s status as a global leader in digital engagement.

“In furtherance of our commitment to a structured and accountable digital space, this Bill also mandates that all bloggers operating in Nigeria must establish a verifiable office in any of the capital cities across the country.

“They must keep proper records of their employees and belong to a recognised national association of bloggers, which shall have its headquarters in Abuja.

“We cannot continue to have a situation where individuals operate anonymously, spreading information—sometimes false—without any structure or accountability.

“Just like traditional media houses, bloggers must be properly registered and regulated to ensure professionalism, transparency, and responsibility in their operations.”

Nwoko therefore urged called on the lawmakers to support the passage of the bill

After the passage, Akpabio said the bill was not an attempt to regulate social media but to increase the revenue of the country.

“The world has gone digital. I’ve taken cognisance of the need that those who are in the business of ICT needs to have a physical address but bloggers are slightly different because they can do their business from anywhere.

“While we’re in a public hearing, people should be invited for their views. I don’t want the world to misunderstand us that the Senate wants to gag social media, it is about tax. For the purpose of tax, this is a good bill,” Akpabio added.

Meanwhile, the Senate on Tuesday set up an ad-hoc committee to investigate the alleged annexation of maritime territories, mangrove islands, and villages of the Effiat clan in Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom by neighbouring Cameroon.

The Red Chamber also resolved that its leadership would engage President Bola Tinubu on the matter and urged the President to initiate diplomatic efforts to address the matter.

This followed the adoption of the resolutions of a motion sponsored by former Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly speaker, Sen. Aniekan Bassey and co-sponsored by six other senators during plenary.

The committee has as its Chairman, Senator Jimoh Ibrahim while Senators Adeniyi Adegbonmire, Seriake Dickson, Shehu Kaka, Ipalibo Harry Banigo, Agom Jarigbe, Ekong Sampson and Aniekan Bassey are members.

Leading debate on the motion, Bassey informed the Senate that the Mbo Mangrove Island, a fishing settlement west of the Rio Del Rey estuary, serves as the official border between Nigeria and Cameroon and reportedly has oil wells and abundant gas reserves.

In his motion brought under Orders 41 and 51 of the Senate Standing Rules, he noted that the disputed areas were not part of the territory ceded to Cameroon. Citing the 1913 Anglo-German treaties and the International Court of Justice ruling of October 2002.

He described the encroachment as illegal, while lamenting that the annexation had led to an economic loss of over 2,560 oil wells and gas revenues that should have accrued to Nigeria.

He said, “It is a threat that the Anglo-Island waters situated at the geographical location of Mbo Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom is currently under administrative control of the Republic of Cameroon.

“The situation was a monumental and national embarrassment as Nigerians in 16 ancestral homes and villages now live under foreign laws imposed by Cameroon.”

He stressed that the islands and waters are crucial to the region’s economy, serving as vital fishing routes, while condemning the continued expansion of Cameroon’s territorial claims post-Nigeria’s independence.

“It is an affront on Nigeria’s territorial integrity and unlawful exploitation of Nigeria’s economic resources,” he argued,

He recalled that the ICJ had ordered both countries to withdraw sovereignty over areas they were not entitled to under the 1913 Anglo-German treaties, which led to Nigeria ceding over 32 villages from Adamawa to the Lake Chad area.

However, he accused Cameroon of failing to reciprocate by holding onto Nigerian territories, negatively impacting the affected communities and the nation’s economy.

Contributing to the motion, Deputy Senate President, Barau Jibrin emphasised the urgency of the issue and called on the National Boundary Commission to intervene to protect Nigerians and national interests.

On his part, Sen. Victor Umeh urged the Attorney General of the Federation to enforce the ICJ ruling, stating, “Nigeria cannot be a beneficiary of the judgment and not enforce it.”

He called for immediate action to reclaim the territory, saying, “Let us act fast and recover our territory with over 2,000 oil wells.”

Also speaking in support of the motion, Ibrahim described Cameroon’s actions as a direct challenge to Nigeria’s sovereignty, saying, “We need to report it to the United Nations.”

Following approval of the motion via voice votes, the ad-hoc committee was directed to investigate the issue and submit its findings within two weeks.