SERAP Demands Withdrawal of Nigeria Data Protection Bill

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has demanded that the National Assembly withdraw the Nigeria Data Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2026. In a letter dated July 18, 2026, addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, the organization urged the leadership to reject the legislation sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko.

The proposed bill would require social media platforms, data controllers, and data processors to establish physical offices in Nigeria. It empowers the Nigeria Data Protection Commission to shut down or prohibit any entity that fails to comply within 30 days. SERAP argues that these localization requirements would facilitate political pressure and censorship, potentially mirroring the rights violations associated with Nigeria's previous suspension of Twitter.

SERAP characterizes the legislation as a "backdoor attempt" to regulate social media and expand government control over online expression, asserting that it violates the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights standards. The organization warned that it will initiate legal action to challenge the legality of the bill if it is enacted into law.