A Senator representing Delta North Senatorial District, Ned Nwoko, has said that social media platforms like TikTok, and X (formerly Twitter), among others could create jobs for at least 200,000 Nigerian youths if they are compelled to establish physical offices in Nigeria.
The Senator stated this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) while justifying the Bill to Amend the Nigerian Data Protection Act, 2023, currently before the National Assembly.
According to him, the bill was long overdue, because for too long, the country had allowed big tech companies, social media giants, and digital platforms, to operate freely in Nigeria without accountability.
“We have millions of young, talented Nigerians looking for jobs. These social media companies are employing thousands of people in other countries, yet they ignore our people.
“If they set up offices here, at least 200,000 Nigerian youths can get direct employment in customer service, tech, content moderation, and other areas,” he said.
Objective of the bill
While noting that the bill is not against businesses but for the good of Nigerians, Nwoko said the bill is aimed at mandating social media platforms and online businesses to establish physical offices in Nigeria, to allow Nigeria take control of its digital space.
“They make billions of dollars from our people, yet they do not pay the right taxes, they do not create enough jobs for our youths, and when we have issues, we don’t even know where to find them.
“Other countries are doing it. Why Not Nigeria?
“France did it. Ireland did it. Even the UK did it. They forced these companies to set up offices, follow the law, and pay their taxes. Why are we scared to do the same? Are we less of a nation? No!” he said.
Tax repatriation
The lawmaker who is also the Senate Committee Chairman on Reparations and Repatriation, added that when the bill is passed, it would ensure repatriation through taxation.
- According to him, the bill is simple; anyone who wants to do business in Nigeria must register in Nigeria, pay taxes in Nigeria, and create jobs for Nigerians.
- Nwoko added that every year, Nigeria is losing at least 10 billion dollars in taxes from the social media companies because they refuse to set up offices in Nigeria.
“In the last 10 years alone, we have lost more than 50 billion dollars This cannot continue.
“If these companies want to operate in Nigeria, they must pay their fair share of taxes like every other business.
“Their employees will also pay personal income tax. This will add at least, one billion dollars in annual revenue to our economy. This money belongs to Nigerians,” he said.
Registration of bloggers
The Senator disclosed that another aspect of the bill is seeking to regulate bloggers and digital content creators in Nigeria.
According to him, every blogger must have a registered, verifiable address, not just an email or phone number.
“Bloggers should belong to a recognised media union. Lawyers have the NBA. Doctors have the NMA. Journalists have the NUJ. So why should bloggers operate without any standards?
“If there is a complaint against a blogger, there must be a professional body to hold them accountable. Bloggers are making money too and should pay taxes if they earned enough in line with the new tax laws of President Bola Tinubu,” he said.
What you should know
Nigeria had in 2021 mandated Twitter, now X to establish office in Nigeria as one of the conditions for the lifting of the ban on the social media platform at the time.
- However, this was not complied with until Twitter was sold to Elon Musk in 2022, after which its name was changed to X.
- Currently, Meta, the parent company of Facebook is the only social media company with a physical presence in Nigeria.
- Meanwhile, in 2023 Meta started trimming down its office space in Lagos following the workforce reductions in mid-2023 that impacted at least 35 Nigerian employees, including the entire engineering team.
