Following the 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, a Port Harcourt based legal practitioner described the move as a bold step in the right direction.
Mr. Nnamdi Oyichukwu made this known in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt. He said the bill which has passed second reading in the Senate would not infringe on the rights of the people but would enhance the economic capacity of the country by improving revenue.
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“If the intent is for the social media platform to have a physical office in Nigeria where Nigerians would be employed and also tax derived from such offices. I don’t think there is anything wrong. Only when we should raise concern is whether such establishment or physical office will infringe on the fundamental rights of Nigerians,” he said.
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Mr. Oyichukwu however warned that the bill if passed into law should not be an instrument to gag the freedom of speech and information rather improve the living standard of the people. So the problem are not the terms of the law. The problem is implementation.
“How genuine, how sincere are we in enforcing our laws?” he asked. The legal expert also urged the government to carry the people along to educate them on the bill to forestall misconception from any quarter.
