Nigeria – The Nigerian government recently lifted the ban on Twitter. The government informed the news on Wednesday. The ban was lifted after seven months after Twitter agreed to comply with all conditions set by the country’s federal government.
The ban was imposed on Twitter by the government in June last year after the social media site took down a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari. The President referred to the country’s 30-month civil war in 1967-1970. He threatened to punish regional secessionists in his tweet. However, social media users criticised the tweet. Subsequently, Twitter had to remove the post. In 2021, the President also accused Twitter of supporting the secessionists in the country.
Twitter agrees to Nigeria’s demands
Twitter agreed to set “a legal entity” in Nigeria during the first quarter of this year. Reportedly, Twitter will also appoint a “designated country representative” to hold talks with the Nigerian government on important matters. Twitter will also pay taxes to Nigeria. The company accepted Nigeria’s conditions to end the seven-month ban.
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Reportedly, the ban on Twitter had affected Nigerian businesses in 2021. According to Analysts, the ban affected the Nigerian economy. It also affected small businesses which use the platform to reach their customers.
Nigerians slammed the government over the suspension of Twitter
The government faced criticism from social media users and human rights activists. They slammed the government for its damaging effect on freedom of expression in the country.
At the time of suspension, Nigerians and a local human rights activists group filed a case at a Nigerian court. They sought to lift the ban on Twitter. Many Nigerians had continued to access Twitter even after the suspension through virtual private networks (VPNs). However, government officials and corporate workers did not break the law. They did not use the site after the suspension.
