Abuja: Sen. Ned Nwoko (PDP-Delta) has announced his sponsorship of a bill to amend the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, aiming to align the country’s data protection practices with global standards and deliver economic and security advantages. Representing the Delta North Senatorial District, Nwoko discussed the bill, which has successfully passed its first reading, during a conversation with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, Sen. Nwoko, who also serves as the Senate Committee Chairman on Reparations and Repatriations, highlighted that the proposed amendment seeks to expedite complaint resolution and bolster confidence among stakeholders. A significant element of the bill is the requirement for social media platforms, data controllers, and data processors operating in Nigeria to establish and maintain physical offices within the country.
The bill, titled ‘A Bill for an Act to Alter the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, LFN, to Mandate the Establishment of Phys
ical Offices within the Territorial Boundaries of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by Social Media Platforms and for Related Matters,’ proposes alterations to Section 5 of the existing Act by adding a new article P. This addition mandates that all relevant entities establish physical offices in Nigeria, with non-compliance resulting in a prohibition from operations in the country after 30 days.
Further amendments include changes to Section 65 of the Principal Act, introducing new definitions for terms such as Data Controllers, Data Processors, and Operators of Social Media Platforms. Data Controllers are defined as entities that determine the purposes and means of processing personal data. Data Processors are those that process data on behalf of a controller, without autonomy over the processing methods.
Operators of Social Media Platforms are described as legal entities responsible for managing digital platforms that support user interactions. The bill also defines Physical Offices as fixed business locatio
ns within Nigeria, staffed and equipped to engage with regulators and the public, fulfilling both legal and operational requirements.