Nigeria lifts its Twitter ban, claiming that the company complied with government demands

Nigeria lifts its Twitter ban, claiming that the company complied with government demands

Nigeria has lifted its Twitter ban, which was implemented on June 5th, 2021. According to CNN, the Nigerian government says Twitter has agreed to meet all of its demands. Among them are Twitter's establishment of a local office in Nigeria, resolving concerns about its tax payments, and "managing prohibited publication in accordance with Nigerian law."

This final condition is critical, as the original ban was condemned as an act of censorship by numerous international organizations. Nigeria's government banned Twitter in 2021, just days after the company deleted a tweet from President Muhammadu Buhari threatening secessionists in the country's southeast region. Due to the tweet's reference to the 1960s Nigerian civil war, some interpreted it as a threat of genocide.

Reasons for the ban

The Nigerian government stated at the time that while the removal of the tweet was "disappointing," other factors influenced the decision to ban Twitter, including its spread of "misinformation and fake news." Numerous nations, including the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, and EU members, have condemned the ban. Twitter has previously played a significant role in Nigeria's civil movements, including mobilizing support for the EndSARS protests against police brutality. It is unclear whether Twitter's reintroduction is conditional on tighter government control.

President Buhari approved the lifting of the ban, according to a statement released by Nigeria's technology agency, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

"The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) directs me to inform the public that President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, has approved the lifting of Twitter's suspension in Nigeria, effective 12 a.m. tonight, 13th January 2022," according to TechCrunch.

According to the statement, Twitter will establish "a legal entity in Nigeria during the first quarter of 2022" and has "agreed to comply with applicable tax obligations under Nigerian law regarding its operations." Additionally, Twitter will "enroll Nigeria in its Partner Support and Law Enforcement Portals," which provide law enforcement with tools for requesting and retaining user data.

According to the statement, "Twitter has agreed to act with due regard for Nigerian laws, as well as the national culture and history upon which such legislation is based, and to collaborate with the FGN and the broader industry to develop a code of conduct consistent with global best practices, which are applicable in almost all developed countries."

We've contacted Twitter for comment and will update this story if we receive a response.