Senator Ned Munir Nwoko, representing the Delta North senatorial district, has questioned the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) about their stance on the compulsory establishment of offices by major social media platforms like Facebook, X, YouTube, Instagram, etc., in Nigeria for economic advancement and efficient dispute resolution.
The lawmaker raised this concern on Thursday May 16, 2024 during the screening of two nominees for executive commissioners of the NCC by the Senate Committee on Communications.
Directing his questions to the two nominees, Sunday Abraham Oshadami and Rimini Haraya Makama, Senator Nwoko emphasized the importance of mandatory local offices for these social media giants. He stated:
“In France, Germany, or elsewhere, they are all mandated to have offices there. You cannot be operating in a country where you don’t have any accountability. If Facebook has an office in Nigeria, it will create jobs for Nigerians. The company will have the responsibility of paying taxes for whatever business they generate. Additionally, they will be easily reachable in the event of litigation”, he said .
“Resolving legal or regulatory issues pertaining to content, data privacy, or user rights is challenging due to the lack of a local presence. You have to engage a lawyer abroad to be able to reach them, which is very costly, thereby impacting the protection of users’ rights.
“Lastly, if they’re operating here in Nigeria, there will be a transfer of technology. They will train and give opportunities to our young ones”.
