Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria, is reopening Twitter after a seven-month ban. Twitter will open a branch in Nigeria and let the government help curate the content, the government announced Wednesday evening in the former capital Lagos.
The reports the Nigerian Channels Television. After months of negotiations, Twitter and the Nigerian government have reached an agreement. Details of the agreement are not yet known. The #TwitterBan was lifted as of midnight.
In June 2021, President Muhammadu Buhari announced a Twitter blockade in Nigeria. The Nigerian government threatens penalties for anyone who uses the service. Twitter had previously deleted a controversial message from the president about the Nigerian civil war and paralyzed the head of state’s account for twelve hours.
Fear of existence because of Twitter
The government did not give a specific reason for the ban at the time. She pointed out that the platform is repeatedly used for activities that would endanger Nigeria’s existence.
At the end of September, Nigeria’s President ordered an end to the Twitter ban – without any concrete consequences. In Nigeria, which has a population of more than 210 million, Twitter is very popular. Young Nigerians used the platform in 2019, among other things, to organize protests against police violence. (with dpa material) /
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