Blessing Taiwo
The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) says N2.55 trillion was paid as taxes by Google, Microsoft, TikTok, X and other foreign digital companies to Nigeria in the first half (H1) of 2024.
This was contained in a statement by Hadiza Umar, NITDA director of corporate communications and media relations, on Tuesday.
The agency revealed that based on data from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the foreign digital companies significantly boosted its revenue.
NITDA commended the tech companies for complying with the code of practice for interactive computer service platforms/internet intermediaries.
The agency said the code, issued jointly by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), and the agency, outlines clear guidelines for promoting online safety and managing harmful content.
“Data from the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reveal that foreign digital companies, including interactive computer service platforms and internet intermediaries (such as social media platforms) operating in Nigeria, contributed over N2.55 trillion (approximately $1.5 billion) in taxes in H1 2024.
“This significant increase in revenue underscores the role of robust regulatory frameworks in shaping compliance and driving revenue growth in the digital economy,” NITDA stated.
The Infotech agency further updated the public on the level of compliance with the code of practice for interactive computer service platforms/internet intermediaries in 2023.
NITDA said all the digital platforms have been making efforts to address user safety concerns in line with the code and the platforms’ community guidelines.
Giving a breakdown of statistics across all the platforms, the agency said data showed that 4.1 million complaints were received in 2023, 65.8 million contents were brought down, and 379,433 contents were removed and re-uploaded after appeals by users.
“The platforms received 4,125,283 (Four million, one hundred and twenty-five thousand, two hundred and eighty-three) registered complaints in 2023.
“Closed and deactivated accounts were 12.09 million,” the statement read.
Commending the progress made, the agency called for continued collaboration and innovation to address emerging challenges.
