Delta North Senatorial District representative, Senator Ned Nwoko, a member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Delta, has advocated for the establishment of Nigerian offices by various social media platforms.

In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, Nwoko emphasized that this call was motivated by multiple factors, including revenue generation, facilitating business operations, simplifying grievance resolution and litigation, and creating employment opportunities.

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The senator underscored the importance of major social media platforms having a presence in Nigeria, citing their potential contributions to economic growth, job creation, efficient dispute resolution, and revenue generation for the nation.

Nigeria, with over 200 million people, is actively engaged with popular social media platforms, including Facebook, X, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, Snapchat, and TikTok.

Despite the significant usage of these platforms in Nigeria, Nwoko pointed out the absence of offices established by these companies in the country.

He drew attention to the success stories of other multinational corporations, such as MTN Group, Shell, Chevron, Nestle, Total, P&G, which have established operations in Nigeria, significantly contributing to the nation’s economic growth and technological advancement.

The senator highlighted the 2022 mandate by the Federal Government, through the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), requiring online platforms to register and open offices in Nigeria.

He also recalled the temporary suspension of Twitter (now X) in June 2021 after the removal of a post by former President Muhammadu Buhari, noting that the issue could have been more efficiently resolved if the social media platform had a local office.

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Expressing concern over the lack of offices for social media platforms in Nigeria, Nwoko cited challenges such as limited local representation, delayed responses to user complaints, regulatory inquiries, or content moderation issues, and missed economic opportunities, including job creation.

He urged the ministries of Communication and Digital Economy and Foreign Affairs to actively engage with social media platforms, encouraging them to establish offices in Nigeria for potential economic benefits and job creation.