.As House of Reps passes 4 tax reform bills into law
IGNATIUS OKOROCHA AND JONAS EZIEKE, Abuja
Senate on Tuesday at plenary passed to second reading a bill seeking social media platforms to establish physical offices within the country.
Specifically, the piece of legislation, 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, 2025 (SB. 650),” sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko (APC Delta North), passed second reading during plenary.
Leading debate on the bill that passed first reading on November 21, 2024, Senator Nwoko said it is not only of national importance, but also central to Nigeria’s sovereignty, economy, and technological development as it “seeks to correct a glaring omission in how multinational social media companies engage with our country.”
He noted that Nigeria as Africa’s most populous nation with over 220 million people has a significant digital presence, ranking first in Africa and second globally in terms of social media usage, spending an average of three hours and 46 minutes daily online, according to a Global Web Index report cited by Business Insider Africa.
The lawmaker added that despite the high engagement, multinational social media corporations such as Facebook, X, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, TikTok, and Snapchat do not maintain physical offices in Nigeria, unlike in other climes.
Senator Nwoko outlined several challenges resulting from the absence of social media offices in Nigeria, including limited local representation; economic losses as well as challenges in legal and data protection compliance.
He further revealed that the bill proposes new regulations for bloggers operating in Nigeria, mandating them to establish a verifiable office in any of the capital cities across the country; maintain proper employee records; and belong to a recognized national association of bloggers, headquartered in Abuja.
This measure, he explained is intended to promote accountability, transparency, and professionalism in Nigeria’s digital media space, similar to traditional media houses.
Senator Nwoko clarified that the bill is not an attack on social media platforms, but a demand for equity and respect for Nigeria’s position as a global leader in digital engagement.
In his remarks, the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, said the regulation of bloggers requires careful consideration just as he agreed that having a local address for digital platforms was long overdue.
“It’s good to have an address, but bloggers are slightly different. I think the best thing is for the bill to go for a second reading and subsequently public hearing for much more streamlined clarity,” he said.
Senator Akpabio, however, explained that the bill was not an attempt to gag social media, but rather as a framework for appropriate taxation and record-keeping for digital platforms operating in Nigeria.
He later referred the bill to the Senate Committee on ICT and Cyber Security for further legislative process and to report back in two months.
In another development, The House of Representatives on Tuesday has passed into third reading, the four tax reforms bills sent to the National Assembly in October 2024 by the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The House had during a plenary session on Thursday March 13, 2025 considered and approved the report of the House Committee on Finance that examined the bills and the submissions received from Nigerians.
The bills are the Nigeria Tax Bill, Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, Nigeria Revenue Service Establishment Bill, and Joint Revenue Board Establishment Bill.
The bills were passed after they were read for the third time at plenary, presided over by the House Speaker Rt Hon. Tajudeen Abbas
As it is, the House now awaits concurrence from the Senate, which is yet to pass its version of the legislation.
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