The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has accused the National Assembly of plotting to regulate social media through the proposed Nigeria Data Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2026, warning that the legislation is a “backdoor” attempt to expand government control over online expression and threatening legal action if it is passed into law.
In a letter dated July 18, 2026, addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, the organisation urged lawmakers to immediately reject and withdraw the Bill, arguing that it is incompatible with the Nigerian Constitution and Nigeria’s international human rights obligations.
Sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko (APC, Delta North), the Bill seeks to compel social media platforms, data controllers and data processors operating in Nigeria to establish physical offices in the country. It also empowers the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to prohibit or shut down the operations of entities that fail to comply within 30 days.
SERAP, in the letter signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, argued that while the amendment is presented as a measure to strengthen regulatory compliance and consumer protection, its practical effect is to create sweeping powers capable of excluding major digital platforms from Nigeria.
According to the organisation, forcing technology companies to establish local offices would increase government leverage over digital platforms, facilitate political pressure, make censorship demands easier and expose local employees to retaliation.
The rights group warned that the proposed amendment could achieve indirectly what the ECOWAS Court of Justice ruled against in SERAP and Others v. Federal Republic of Nigeria, where the court held that the Federal Government’s suspension of Twitter violated the rights to freedom of expression, access to information and media freedom.
SERAP also faulted the Bill for granting the NDPC broad enforcement powers without requiring prior judicial authorisation or adequate procedural safeguards before shutting down digital platforms. It argued that the proposal cannot satisfy the constitutional tests of necessity and proportionality under Section 45 of the 1999 Constitution.
Beyond concerns over digital rights, the organisation warned that the legislation could undermine Nigeria’s digital economy by increasing compliance costs for startups, AI developers, research institutions and smaller technology companies, while discouraging innovation and investment.
SERAP maintained that no major democratic jurisdiction requires every social media platform to establish a physical office as a condition for operating, urging the National Assembly to withdraw the Bill immediately.
The organisation warned that if the legislation is passed in its current or substantially similar form, it would promptly institute legal proceedings to challenge its constitutionality and protect the fundamental rights of millions of Nigerians.
