Controversy surrounds FG’s recent bid to regulate social media

The Federal Government’s recent attempt to regulate social media has sparked significant controversy, as many netizens pledge to resist any measures that may impede freedom of speech.

On October 3, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) sent a bill to the National Assembly with the intention of repealing and reenacting the NBC act, CAP L11 laws of the federation of Nigeria, 2004. This bill, if enacted into law, would grant the NBC regulatory authority over social media platforms.

During a meeting at the commission’s headquarters with Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Balarabe Ilelah, Director-General of the NBC, referred to social media as a “monster” that poses significant challenges. He stated, “One of our major problems now is social media. Unless there is a law that allows NBC to act on social media issues, the issue will continue to be a monster in our daily lives in this country.”

As a result, the regulatory body has initiated discussions with major social media platforms to address the excesses of their users.

These developments have given rise to controversy among Nigerians who claim that the federal government is pressuring social media companies to unduly restrict their fundamental human rights.

Critics of the bill suggest that it represents a government scheme to infringe upon the rights to freedom of expression and privacy of individuals.

In response to the NBC’s actions, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on Senate President Godswill Akpabio and House of Representatives Speaker Tajudeen Abbas to outrightly reject the bill. SERAP argues that if the bill is passed into law, it would criminalize the legitimate and lawful exercise of Nigerians’ human rights.

SERAP, in a letter signed by its Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, contends that the move to regulate social media would be “inconsistent and incompatible with the provisions of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and the country’s international human rights obligations.” Additionally, SERAP warns that the proposed bill could lead to a digital siege and poses a serious threat to freedom of expression and privacy.