Nigeria Lifts Ban On Twitter After 6 Months In The Dark

Nigeria has lifted the ban on Twitter after six months, once again giving millions of Nigerians access to Twitter. The ban was lifted Thursday midnight after being in effect for more than six months.

Last June, President Muhamadu Buhari of Nigeria suspended Twitter’s operations in the country, accusing it of allowing its platform to be used “for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.”

Trouble started when Twitter deleted a Tweet belonging to President Buhari where he had posted about punishing the insurgents in the country. Twitter said at the time that the tweet had been reported as being offensive and against its rules.

In the tweet, Buhari threatened citizens in the southeast region following attacks on public property. Buhari retaliated by immediately banning Twitter in Nigeria and making it a crime for someone to own and run one.

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We are pleased that Twitter has been restored for everyone in Nigeria. Our mission in Nigeria & around the world, is to serve the public conversation.
We are deeply committed to Nigeria, where Twitter is used by people for commerce, cultural engagement, and civic participation.

— Twitter Public Policy (@Policy) January 13, 2022

“The new global reality is that digital platforms and their operators wield enormous influence over the fabric of our society, social interaction, and economic choices. These platforms can be used as either a tool or a weapon,” the government said.

Nigeria is the most populous nation in Africa followed by Ethiopia. Millions of Nigerians are tech-savvy and often use social media platforms such as Twitter to engage and highlight issues.

Last year, Nigerians took to Twitter condemning SARs, an army wing in the country for human rights violations. The campaign on Twitter became global forcing the government to take action.

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