Popular blog, Gistlover has reacted to a proposed bill seeking to amend the Nigeria Data Protection Act of 2023, which mandates social media platforms to establish physical offices within the country.

The bill, which has passed its second reading, requires that all social media companies operating in Nigeria set up offices locally.

Senator Ned Nwoko, the bill’s sponsor, argued that the absence of such offices has led to several challenges, including limited local representation, economic losses, and difficulties in enforcing legal and data protection compliance.

Additionally, the bill proposes new regulations for bloggers operating in Nigeria.

It mandates that all bloggers must: establish a verifiable office in any of the capital cities across the country, maintain proper employee records and belong to a recognized national association of bloggers headquartered in Abuja.

According to Senator Nwoko, these measures aim to enhance accountability, transparency, and professionalism in Nigeria’s digital media space, aligning bloggers with the standards upheld by traditional media houses.

Reacting to the development, Gistlover took to Instagram with a post criticizing the bill. The blog wrote; "Them say make I go open shop for Senate ooo! As cane don dey meet their Senate President, them know say them no safe too. Iku pa gbogbo yin ooo. No be only shop!"

The bill, titled "A Bill for an Act to Amend the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023, to Mandate the Establishment of Physical Offices within the Territorial Boundaries of the Federal Republic of Nigeria by Social Media Platforms, and for Related Matters, 2025 (SB. 650)," was sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko (Delta North).

The proposal has sparked mixed reactions, with critics arguing that it could stifle free speech and place undue restrictions on digital content creators in the country.

NBA