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SERAP faults data bill, warns against social media crackdown
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The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project has urged the National Assembly to immediately withdraw the proposed Nigeria Data Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2026, describing it as a “backdoor attempt” to regulate social media and expand government control over online expression.
The rights group warned that the bill, if passed in its current form, would grant regulators sweeping powers to shut down digital platforms operating in Nigeria, thereby threatening the constitutionally guaranteed rights to freedom of expression, access to information and digital communication.
In a letter dated July 18, 2026, addressed to the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Tajudeen Abbas, SERAP said the proposed legislation should be rejected because it violates both the Nigerian Constitution and Nigeria’s international human rights obligations.
The letter was signed by SERAP’s Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.
Sponsored by Ned Nwoko (APC, Delta North), the bill seeks to compel social media platforms, data controllers and data processors operating in Nigeria to establish physical offices in the country.
It also empowers the Nigeria Data Protection Commission to prohibit or shut down the operations of any entity that fails to comply within 30 days.
SERAP stated that the localisation requirement would expose technology companies to undue political influence and make it easier for authorities to pressure digital platforms.
According to the organisation, “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.”
It added, “The Bill would create sweeping powers capable of shutting down or excluding social media platforms from the Nigerian market and expose millions of Nigerians to serious violations of their constitutionally and internationally guaranteed human rights.”
The organisation recalled previous efforts by the National Assembly to regulate social media, noting that they generated widespread public opposition and human rights concerns.
“The current Bill 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,” the letter stated.
SERAP warned that it would challenge the legislation in court if it were eventually signed into law.
“Should the Bill be enacted into law in its current or substantially similar form, SERAP shall promptly take all appropriate legal actions to challenge its legality in the public interest and to ensure that Nigerians’ fundamental rights are fully protected,” it said.
The organisation maintained that while governments have a legitimate interest in regulating digital platforms and ensuring compliance with domestic laws, such regulation must conform with constitutional safeguards and international human rights standards.
“Measures regulating digital services should enhance transparency, accountability and users’ rights—not create additional tools for censorship, surveillance or political interference,” SERAP said.
It argued that the bill empowers the Nigeria Data Protection Commission to prohibit the operations of digital platforms without adequate procedural safeguards.
“A law empowering regulators to exclude digital platforms from Nigeria inevitably interferes with the rights of the people who rely upon those platforms. The proposed section 5(p) in the Bill authorises the NDPC to prohibit entities from conducting operations in Nigeria without adequate procedural safeguards,” it stated.
According to SERAP, the proposed legislation contains no requirement for prior judicial authorisation, no obligation to consider less restrictive alternatives, and no meaningful opportunity for affected companies to remedy alleged non-compliance beyond what it described as an arbitrary 30-day period.
“The Bill cannot survive scrutiny under Section 45 of the Nigerian Constitution, which permits restrictions on fundamental rights only where they are prescribed by law, pursue a legitimate objective and are reasonably justifiable in a democratic society,” the organisation added.
It further argued that there was no evidence that existing powers under the Nigeria Data Protection Act were inadequate or that current enforcement mechanisms had failed.
“The Bill imposes one of the most severe sanctions available: the exclusion of digital platforms from Nigeria merely because they have not established a physical office,” SERAP said.
The group also warned that the proposal could undermine Nigeria’s digital economy and innovation ecosystem by discouraging investment and increasing compliance costs for startups, artificial intelligence developers, educational institutions and research organisations.
According to SERAP, “Mandatory localisation requirements substantially increase compliance costs, particularly for startups, open-source projects, educational institutions, research organisations, AI developers and smaller technology companies, while reducing Nigeria’s attractiveness as a destination for innovation and investment.”
The organisation noted that the proposal conflicts with the objectives of the Nigeria Startup Act 2022 and the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy.
SERAP also cited the judgment of the ECOWAS Court of Justice in SERAP and Others v. Federal Republic of Nigeria, which held that the Federal Government’s suspension of Twitter violated the rights to freedom of expression, access to information and media freedom.
“Although the present Bill differs from the Twitter suspension in form, it creates the possibility of achieving the same result indirectly by empowering regulators to prohibit digital platforms from operating in Nigeria,” it said.
The organisation further relied on international human rights standards, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and the African Commission’s Declaration of Principles on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa.
It also referenced warnings by former United Nations Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression, David Kaye, against requiring technology companies to establish local offices as a means of facilitating censorship or indirect governmental pressure over content moderation decisions.
SERAP maintained that no major democratic country requires every social media platform to establish a physical office as a blanket condition for operating.
“The National Assembly should immediately reject and withdraw the Bill, as it is manifestly incompatible with the Nigerian Constitution and Nigeria’s obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights,” the organisation said.
It added, “The National Assembly should seize this opportunity to demonstrate its commitment to constitutional democracy, the rule of law and Nigeria’s digital future by immediately withdrawing the Bill.”
Ex-President Goodluck Jonathan has charged political parties and the judiciary across Africa to strengthen democratic institutions and protect the will of the people, warning that democracy could become a mere facade if its foundational principles are weakened.
Jonathan, Chairman of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation (GJF), gave the charge on Tuesday at the closing of the 2026 GJF Democracy Dialogue in Bauchi, with the theme, “Beyond Elections: Can Political Parties and the Judiciary Save Africa’s Democracy?
He said political parties must become genuine democratic institutions by embracing internal democracy, producing credible leaders, respecting their own rules and putting national interest above
partisan interests.
“Strong democracies cannot emerge from weak political parties,” Jonathan said, calling for stronger frameworks across Africa to regulate political parties and enhance democratic integrity.
He cited Kenya’s model of having a dedicated institution to regulate political activities alongside the electoral management body, saying other African countries could adopt similar arrangements to strengthen political accountability.
The former president also placed a heavy responsibility on the judiciary, saying it carried “an equally or more profound responsibility” in protecting democracy.
He urged judicial officers handling political cases to be guided by the principles represented by Lady Justice; impartiality, fairness and the rule of law.
Jonathan expressed concern that in some African countries, electoral contests were increasingly being settled in courtrooms rather than at the ballot box.
While acknowledging the judiciary’s constitutional responsibility to resolve electoral disputes, he said democracy was healthiest when the freely expressed will of the people was clear, respected and accepted by all.
“The courtroom should not become the arena where political mandates are routinely determined,” he warned.
According to a statement by Jonathan’s Special Assistant on Media, Ikechukwu Eze, the former President said a functional democracy must rest on eight cardinal pillars: sovereignty of the people, rule of law, separation of powers, protection of fundamental rights and freedoms, accountability and
transparency, free and credible elections, political pluralism, and an active civil society.
He cautioned that although no country could score perfectly on all the pillars, substantial compliance with most of them was necessary for democracy to remain stable and sustainable.
“When several of these foundations of democracy are weakened, what emerges is not genuine democracy but a pseudo-democracy; one that retains democratic forms while steadily losing democratic substance,” he said.
Jonathan urged African leaders to consciously build their political parties, legislatures, executives and judiciaries around these democratic principles.
“History will judge our democracies not by the number of elections we conduct, but by the strength of the institutions we build and the fidelity with which we uphold these democratic pillars,” he said.
He called on African countries to move away from the cycle of political instability and electoral crises and build strong institutions capable of promoting peace, development and shared
prosperity.
Jonathan thanked the Bauchi State Government and Governor Bala Mohammed for supporting the dialogue, as well as former Nigerian President Olusegun Obasanjo, and other participants for attending the event.
The Osun State Police Command has summoned Senator Francis Fadahunsi, representing Osun East Senatorial District, over comments attributed to him in a viral video concerning members of the Accord Party.
The invitation followed public outrage over the video, in which Fadahunsi, speaking in Yoruba during an All Progressives Congress (APC) campaign event in Ilesa, was allegedly heard making remarks interpreted as a threat against Accord supporters.
In a letter dated August 11, 2026, the police directed the senator to appear before the State Criminal Investigation Department in Osogbo at 11am on Wednesday, August 12, to clarify the circumstances surrounding the remarks.
The letter, signed by Samuel Etaifo Erale, commissioner of police in charge of elections in Osun State, said the invitation was based on allegations that Fadahunsi made statements considered threatening, inciting and intimidating.
The invitation is premised on information in possession of the Nigeria Police alleging that during your address at the aforementioned programme, you made statements considered to be threatening, inciting and intimidating in nature, and the statement has already been in circulation on various electronic and social media platforms,” the letter stated.
The controversy erupted after a video surfaced in which Fadahunsi was reportedly heard telling APC supporters to “kill” Accord members. The remarks drew widespread condemnation as the state prepares for Saturday’s governorship election.
Fadahunsi later denied calling for violence, saying his remarks had been taken out of context. His media team explained that he was urging voters to defeat the Accord Party through their votes, describing the statement as political and metaphorical.
The controversy comes amid political tension in Osun, with incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke seeking re-election on the Accord platform and APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji among the major contenders in the August 15 poll.
The Ebonyi State House of Assembly has passed a landmark executive bill aimed at regulating the trade of metal and electrical scraps, standardising residential rent, and capping property agency fees across the state.
Presided over by the Speaker, Moses Odunwa, during Tuesday’s plenary at the Assembly Complex on Nkaliki Road, the law, cited as the Ebonyi State Sale of Scraps, House Rent, and Agent Fees Regulation Law 2026, came into effect immediately upon passage on August 11, 2026.
The legislation establishes strict regulatory frameworks to curb public property vandalism, checkmate environmental degradation, and eliminate exploitative practices within Ebonyi’s real estate market.
Some provisions of the law state that unlicensed buying, selling, possession, transportation, or disposal of metal and electrical scraps is now strictly prohibited. Violators face up to two years’ imprisonment, a fine not exceeding ₦500,000, or both.
It states that standard rent tariffs prescribed by Governor Francis Nwifuru will govern applicable housing categories; landlords are legally barred from demanding rates exceeding the prescribed caps. Furthermore, landlords who obtain possession orders through fraud, misrepresentation, or concealment of facts face up to two years’ imprisonment.
The legislation indicated that agency fees for real estate transactions are now capped at a maximum of 2% of the gross transaction value for both professional and non-professional agents.
To enforce transparency and accountability, all estate agents operating within the capital city must register with the Ministry of the Capital City.
Presenting the merits of the executive bill, Leader of the House Kingsley Ikoro urged his colleagues to give the measure swift passage, emphasising its role in safeguarding public infrastructure and protecting vulnerable tenants.
Echoing these sentiments, several lawmakers voiced strong support during deliberations: Victor Nwoke (Abakaliki North), Nwodo Nwodo (Ebonyi North West), Oluchukwu Ukie Ezeali (Afikpo East), Friday Ogbuewu (Ezza South), Celestine Ogba (Onicha East)
The lawmakers described the legislation as a timely intervention against the surge in municipal scrap theft and arbitrary rent hikes by speculative landlords.
Speaking shortly after the bill passed its third reading following a clause-by-clause consideration in the Committee of the Whole, Speaker Moses Odunwa remarked, “Scrap dealers have shown a brazen lack of restraint, causing widespread havoc to critical public infrastructure and private property. This law restores sanity to our property market and prioritises overall public safety.”
In other legislative business, the House considered and formally adopted the Auditor-General’s Report on the Consolidated Financial Statements of the Ebonyi State Government for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025, confirming its alignment with standard accounting principles.
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