Regulating Social Media Content in Nigeria: Balancing Free Speech and Public Order under the Emerging Legal Framework

Social media platforms have transformed public discourse in Nigeria, enabling citizen engagement, political mobilisation, and journalistic reporting. Simultaneously, they have become vectors for hate speech, misinformation, and incitement to violence, prompting calls for legislative intervention. This research examines Nigeria's emerging legal framework for regulating social media content, focusing on the National Information Technology Development Agency Act, the Cybercrimes Act 2015, and proposed digital speech legislation. A doctrinal legal methodology is applied alongside a qualitative content analysis of social media regulatory debates documented in policy documents, parliamentary records, and online commentary from 2019 to 2024. Interviews were also conducted with digital rights advocates, journalism professionals, and legal practitioners in Lagos and Abuja. The findings indicate that existing statutory provisions governing online speech are overly broad and susceptible to abuse by state actors seeking to silence legitimate dissent. Proposed social media bills have drawn criticism from civil society for potentially chilling freedom of expression. The study maps the tension between the constitutional guarantee of expression rights and the state's legitimate interest in preventing online-facilitated violence. Recommendations include adopting proportionality-tested speech regulation modelled on international best practices, establishing an independent regulatory body with transparent enforcement procedures, and ensuring civil society participation in regulatory design processes. This research contributes to digital rights and media law scholarship in Nigeria. Keywords: social media regulation, free speech, Cybercrimes Act, digital rights, Nigeria.