There is renewed hope for Twitter users in Nigeria as President Muhammadu Buhari announced that his government is set to lift the ban it placed on the microblogging platform in Nigeria.
Saying that efforts are ongoing to prevent further misuse of social media, President Buhari, in his Independence Day broadcast, noted that the suspension is, however, subjected to some conditions.
This announcement comes several weeks after the Buhari-led government said that it was in talks with the American-based social media giant, on how it should operate in the country.
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WHAT THIS MEANS:
- The Federal Government of Nigeria suspended the operations of Twitter Inc. to allow the Government to put measures in place to address the negative use of the platform.
- Buhari constituted a Presidential Committee to engage Twitter to explore the possibility of resolving the issue with Twitter Inc.
- Nigeria has engaged with Twitter and has addressed a number of key issues including National Security and Cohesion; Registration, Physical presence and Representation; Fair Taxation; Dispute Resolution; and Local Content.
- The suspension will be lifted but only if the conditions are met to allow Nigerians to continue the use of the platform for business and positive engagements.
- Nigeria is committed to ensuring that digital companies use their platform to enhance the lives of citizens, respect the country’s sovereignty, cultural values and promote online safety.
Recall that on June 4, 2021, the government announced the indefinite suspension of Twitter’s operation after it deleted a tweet by President Buhari, where he threatened to treat members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) in the “language they understand.”
The Federal Government had, however, attributed the suspension to “the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.”
