Some social media users across the country have advocated for the establishment of an indigenous social networking platforms following the exit threat by Meta.

Meta is the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp.

The users made the call in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Sunday,

They said that establishing an indigenous social media platform would ensure easy regulation and implementation of data protection policies in the country.

Mr Moses Atuegwu, a WhatsApp user, said that the exit threat by Meta was uncalled for given the huge number of users and patronage they had received in the country.

Atuegwu said it was worrisome, as citizens were at the mercy of foreign-dominated social media platforms, hence the need for homegrown platforms.

”We cannot continue to be controlled by these foreign platforms.

”We should have an alternative that is indigenous based.

Ms Pearl Adekunle, another user of WhatsApp and Instagram, said that setting up homegrown social media platforms would help the country to scrutinise the content consumed by users.

Adekunle said the establishment of homegrown platforms would help promote indigenous technology and the country’s economy.

”China and Russia have their own indigenous social media platforms, and this enhances the data protection policy of their government.

”Nothing stops Nigeria from adopting the same to promote and advance indigenous technologies,” she said.

Miss Esther Indiana-Obong, a Facebook subscriber, said that establishing an indigenous social media platform would help encourage competition and promote innovation in the country’s Information Technology (IT) sector.

Indiana-Obong said it would also help to reduce dependence on foreign social media brands.

Meta said that it may be forced to effectively shut down the Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria in order to mitigate the risk of enforcement measures.

Responding to the threat, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, had said that the threat would not exonerate the company from the fines.

FCCPC described the threat as a calculated move aimed at inducing a negative public reaction and potentially pressuring the FCCPC to reconsider its decision.