Following Russia’s lead: Will Nigeria mandate its own version of WhatsApp – a ‘Naija Super App’ ?
By Nij Martin
The global digital landscape is fracturing. The recent turbo-charged rollout of Russia’s state-backed messaging app, “Max,” designed to replace WhatsApp and Telegram, offers a provocative blueprint for nations seeking digital sovereignty. This move resonates deeply in Nigeria, where a familiar debate is intensifying. The call by Lere Olayinka, an aide to the FCT Minister, for mandatory National Identification Number (NIN) verification for all social media accounts has ignited fresh discussions about control, security, and the very architecture of Nigeria’s online existence.
Olayinka’s proposal is clear: “To open or run a social media account, a NIN and a valid ID card… should be mandatory. This is aimed at curbing the spread of false information and promoting accountability online.” This vision of a fully identified internet user base aligns with the government’s existing NIN policy. But it also raises a more ambitious question: if the goal is to reduce dependency on foreign platforms, could Nigeria follow Russia’s lead and build its own?
Russia’s strategy with “Max” is a masterclass in forced adoption. The app, which must be pre-installed on all devices sold in Russia from September 1st, is being positioned as a “super-app” for messaging, payments, and government services. Its growth—from 1 million to over 18 million users in months—is not organic; it’s engineered through restrictions on competitors and state-backed celebrity endorsements. As Russian official Dmitry Grigorenko oversees, the goal is integration with state services, making the app a digital gateway for citizenship. This model of leveraging state power to create a captive market is both a tantalising and terrifying prospect for other governments.
Nigeria is not a stranger to this ambition. The 2022 launch of the “Lets Talk” app was a direct response to the vulnerability exposed by a major WhatsApp outage. Developed in partnership with NITDA and the NCC, it was a genuine attempt to create a indigenous, secure alternative. Yet, like countless other nationalistic apps worldwide, it struggled against the network effects and entrenched user habits that favour WhatsApp. Building a platform is one thing; convincing 100 million+ Nigerians to migrate is a Herculean task that requires more than just technical capability.
The challenges are monumental. First is the issue of trust. In a nation with significant public scepticism towards government intentions, a state-backed app would immediately be viewed as a surveillance tool. As streamer JesusAVGN joked about Russia’s Max, “With Max, they’ll catch you even in the elevator,” hinting at its data-sharing with authorities. For Nigeria to succeed, it would need iron-clad data protection laws and transparent governance—a tall order.
Second is the immense cost and expertise required to build a platform scalable, secure, and feature-rich enough to compete with tech giants funded by billions in global investment. Russia can mandate this through its industrial policy; Nigeria would have to navigate a fragile economy and competing priorities.
Finally, there is the philosophical dilemma. Is the goal truly digital sovereignty—creating a platform that protects Nigerian data and fosters local innovation? Or is it digital control, a means to more easily monitor and regulate online discourse under the guise of security? The line between the two is often blurry.
The path forward is not a simple binary choice between foreign apps and a state-controlled monolith. A more nuanced approach could involve incentivising private Nigerian tech firms to develop competitive alternatives, investing in the digital infrastructure that makes any app viable, and implementing robust, independent data privacy regulations that apply to all platforms, foreign and domestic.
Russia’s “Max” shows that state-backed digital ecosystems are technologically possible. But for Nigeria, the decision is not merely technical; it is deeply political. It forces a national conversation about what kind of digital future Nigerians want: one of identified users on regulated platforms, or the chaotic, anonymous, but vibrant freedom of the current internet. The answer will define Nigeria’s place in the next chapter of the digital age.