SERAP Asks Akpabio, Abbas To Withdraw Social Media Regulation Bill

SERAP has asked Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to withdraw a proposed data protection amendment bill, warning that it could give the government a route to shut down social media platforms in Nigeria.

The group said the bill would force social media platforms, data controllers and processors operating in Nigeria to set up physical offices in the country. It also said the proposal would empower the Nigeria Data Protection Commission to shut down or bar any entity that fails to comply within 30 days.

In a letter dated July 18, 2026, and signed by its deputy director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP described the bill as a backdoor attempt to regulate social media and expand state control over online expression.

The bill is sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko of Delta North. SERAP said the local-office requirement could increase government pressure on technology companies, expose workers to retaliation and make censorship demands easier to enforce.

The group also said the proposal revived concerns raised by earlier attempts to regulate social media in Nigeria. It warned that it would take legal action if the bill is passed in its current or a similar form.

Source: Vanguard