SERAP Threatens Legal Action, Urges National Assembly to Withdraw Data Protection Amendment Bill
Sunday, 19 July 2026
By Atlantic Digest National Desk
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on the leadership of the National Assembly to immediately withdraw the Nigeria Data Protection (Amendment) Bill, 2026, warning that it would institute legal action if the proposed legislation is passed in its current form.
In a letter dated July 18, 2026, and addressed to Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Speaker of the House of Representatives Tajudeen Abbas, SERAP described the bill as a “backdoor attempt” to regulate social media and expand government control over online expression.
The proposed amendment, sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko (APC, Delta North), seeks to require social media companies, data controllers and data processors operating in Nigeria to establish physical offices within the country. It also empowers the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to suspend or prohibit the operations of any platform that fails to comply within 30 days.
SERAP, through its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, argued that the localisation requirement would expose technology companies to political pressure and make it easier for authorities to demand censorship of online content. The organisation warned that granting regulators the power to shut down digital platforms without adequate judicial safeguards could result in widespread violations of Nigerians’ constitutional rights.
According to SERAP, the bill mirrors previous attempts to regulate social media that generated widespread opposition and legal challenges, including the suspension of Twitter, which was later declared unlawful by the ECOWAS Court of Justice.
The organisation maintained that the proposed legislation violates constitutional guarantees of freedom of expression, access to information and digital rights, as well as Nigeria’s obligations under the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
SERAP further argued that the amendment would harm Nigeria’s digital economy by increasing compliance costs for technology firms, startups, educational institutions and artificial intelligence developers, making the country less attractive to investors.
The rights group also criticised the bill for granting the NDPC broad enforcement powers without requiring prior judicial authorisation or providing sufficient opportunities for affected companies to challenge regulatory decisions.
It warned that if enacted, the law could effectively achieve the same result as an outright social media ban by preventing platforms from operating in Nigeria.
SERAP urged lawmakers to reject the amendment and instead pursue digital policies that strengthen transparency, accountability and consumer protection while respecting constitutional freedoms. The organisation vowed to challenge the legislation in court should it eventually become law.
