Senator Ned Nwoko, representing Delta North Senatorial District under the PDP, has advocated for the establishment of Nigerian headquarters for various social media platforms operating in the country.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, Nwoko underscored the deliberate nature of this call, citing multiple reasons such as revenue generation, facilitating business operations, streamlining complaint resolution and legal processes, and offering employment opportunities.
The senator emphasized that having major social media platforms establish a physical presence in Nigeria is crucial for stimulating economic growth, fostering job creation, ensuring efficient dispute resolution, and bolstering revenue streams for the nation.
Highlighting Nigeria’s status as Africa’s most populous nation, with a population exceeding 200 million actively engaged on various popular social media platforms, Nwoko emphasized the significance of having these platforms directly rooted in the country.
“These multinational social platforms widely used in Nigeria include, but are not limited to, Facebook, X, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok.
“Nigerians rank first in Africa for their extensive social media usage and second globally, with an average daily internet usage of three hours and 46 minutes, according to the latest Global Web Index (GWI) as reported by Business Insider Africa.
“Despite the substantial usage of these social media platforms by Nigerians within the country, these companies have yet to establish offices in Nigeria,” Nwoko said.
He said there were success stories of other multinational corporations, such as the MTN Group, Shell, Chevron, Nestle, Total, P&G, and others, which have established operations in Nigeria, contributing significantly to the nation’s economic growth and technological advancement.
“However, notably absent is their presence in Nigeria, a nation globally ranked second in Internet and social media usage,” Nwoko said.
He recalled that in 2022, the Federal Government through the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), mandated all online platforms to register and open offices in Nigeria, and appoint contact persons with the government.
Nwoko also recalled that in June 2021, the Nigerian Government suspended Twitter (now X) after it removed a post by former President Muhammadu Buhari.
“However, the ban was later lifted after the social media platform agreed to open a local office, among other agreements.
“A case that could have been swiftly, efficiently, and effectively resolved, if the respective social media platform had established an office in Nigeria,” he said.
The lawmaker said though the multinational social platforms maintain offices in several countries like the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, India, Singapore, Australia, Brazil, and others, there is none in Nigeria.
He explained that this strategy aims to cater to their user bases, manage regional content policies, cultivate local partnerships, and address specific market needs and concerns.
Nwoko expressed concern that the absence of offices for social media platforms in Nigeria poses issues of limited local representation.
“Addressing specific issues or concerns relevant to Nigeria takes a longer time and is less effectively handled due to distance and potential cultural or regulatory gaps.
“The lack of proximity also results in slower responses to user complaints, regulatory inquiries, or content moderation issues specific to Nigeria.
“Also missed economic opportunities as these platforms typically employ a diverse range of professionals, from technical roles to customer support, content moderation, marketing, legal, and managerial positions,” he said.
He said the absence of these offices therefore means missed opportunities for job creation, technology transfer, and contributions to the Nigerian economy through taxes and partnerships, noting that the absence of these social media offices in the country poses difficulty resolving legal or regulatory issues relating to content, data privacy, or user rights.
Nwoko therefore called on the ministries of Communication and Digital Economy, and Foreign Affairs to engage actively with the multinational social media platforms to encourage the establishment of offices in Nigeria.
He said that the potential economic benefits, job creation, and the enhancement of local engagement from establishing the offices in the nation could not be over-emphasised.
Nwoko urged NITDA to monitor compliance with existing regulations requiring online platforms to register and open offices in Nigeria and ensure that social media platforms adhere to the requirements for the benefit of Nigerian users and the economy.
