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The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked the National Assembly to withdraw the proposed Nigeria Data Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2026.
The rights group, in a statement issued on Sunday, warned that the legislation is a “backdoor attempt” to regulate social media and could give the government sweeping powers to restrict online expression.
The rights group also threatened legal action if the bill is passed in its current form, arguing that it violates constitutional and international human rights protections.
SERAP said it had written to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, urging them to halt the legislative process.
“We’ve urged the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, to immediately reject and withdraw the Nigeria Data Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2026, as the Bill is a backdoor attempt to regulate social media and expand governmental control over online expression, which is incompatible with international human rights standards,” SERAP said.
The bill, sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko (APC, Delta North), proposes that social media platforms, data controllers, and data processors operating in Nigeria establish physical offices in Nigeria.
It also seeks to empower the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to “shut down or prohibit the operations of any entity” that fails to comply within 30 days.
SERAP argued that compelling technology companies to establish local offices would expose them to political pressure and make censorship easier.
“Requirements compelling technology companies to establish local offices would increase government leverage over platforms, facilitate political pressure, make censorship demands easier and expose local employees to retaliation,” the group said.
According to SERAP, the amendment would grant authorities excessive powers over digital platforms and put the rights of millions of Nigerians at risk.
The organisation also linked the proposal to previous attempts by lawmakers to regulate social media, saying those efforts had been rejected by the public over concerns about censorship and free speech.
It added that the current proposal “revives substantially similar proposals previously introduced by Senator Nwoko, raising renewed concerns that localisation requirements are being used as a vehicle for expanding governmental control over digital platforms and online expression.”
SERAP warned that it would head to court if the legislation becomes law.
The Nigeria Data Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2026, seeks to amend the Nigeria Data Protection Act by introducing new compliance requirements for digital platforms operating in the country.
The proposal comes years after previous attempts by the National Assembly to regulate social media through measures such as the Protection from Internet Falsehood and Manipulation Bill, widely dubbed the “Social Media Bill”.
Those initiatives drew widespread criticism from civil society organisations, media groups and digital rights advocates, who argued they threatened freedom of expression and could be used to suppress dissent.
BREAKING: We’ve urged the Senate President, Senator Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas to immediately reject and withdraw the Nigeria Data Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2026, as the Bill is a backdoor attempt to regulate social media…
— SERAP (@SERAPNigeria) July 19, 2026
