SERAP Demands Withdrawal of Controversial Data Bill

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to immediately withdraw the Nigeria Data Protection Amendment Bill 2026. SERAP describes the bill as a disguised attempt to regulate social media platforms in Nigeria.

In a letter dated July 18, 2026, signed by Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP warns that the bill, sponsored by Senator Ned Nwoko of the APC from Delta North, is incompatible with the Nigerian Constitution and international human rights standards. The controversial bill seeks to compel social media platforms to establish physical offices in Nigeria and grant the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) the power to shut down companies that fail to comply within 30 days.

SERAP argues that the bill poses a threat to freedom of expression and access to information, and it lacks necessary procedural safeguards. SERAP has issued a final warning that if the bill is enacted in its current form, it will face legal action to challenge it in the public interest.