Video: Ned Nwoko urges urgent regulation of social media amid rising defamation concerns in Nigeria

Abdullateef Fowewe

Senator Ned Nwoko has voiced deep concerns over the unregulated nature of Nigeria’s social media landscape, highlighting how damaging false allegations often spread unchecked to amass millions of views.

Writing on X, he linked the proliferation of defamatory content to the increasing emotional manipulation of Nigerians and urged swift legislative action.

“The accompanying video, trended a couple of days ago. It is testament to the fact that Nigerian social media space has become one of the most unregulated in the world,” Senator Nwoko stated.

He emphasised that “laying very serious allegations has become a common trait to attract millions of views without recourse to the damaging effects on the people involved.”

The senator underscored the dangers of the current freedom, pointing out that social media companies avoid accountability due to the absence of local regulation.

Drawing a parallel with traditional landlords, he questioned, “If landlords are being threatened with punishments for actions of their tenants who are yahoo boys, what stops social media companies from being held responsible for allowing defamatory contents in their platforms?”

Nwoko is pushing for a bill requiring foreign social media firms to register and establish offices in Nigeria.

He believes such regulation would bring multifaceted benefits: “employment for many Nigerians, technology transfer, payment of taxes, litigations will be easier and cheaper instead of suing them in foreign countries, they will also help in tracking bandits and other criminal activities.”

He further highlighted the importance of data sovereignty, saying these measures would ensure “our records will be domiciled here and not controlled by foreign countries who can use them to destabilize our dear country.”

The senator closed by appealing for support: “Please support my bill on the regulation of social media companies which simply seeks to get them to register in Nigeria and open their offices here. You can’t lie to make money and turn around to apologize after criminally defaming and hurting people.”