Nigeria’s President gives conditions to be met before lifting Twitter ban

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has said the suspension of the operations of Twitter in the country will end only if the company meets certain conditions, such as the setting up of a local unit and payment of taxes.

Buhari listed these conditions during a broadcast to mark Nigeria’s 61st Independence anniversary on Friday, October 1. 

The Nigerian government suspended Twitter’s operations in June, following the social media platform’s decision to delete a tweet by Buhari, which it said breached the site’s rules. The state’s decision to ban Twitter triggered widespread criticism as online-based businesses recorded huge losses; lawsuits; and national assembly hearings meant to probe the circumstances leading to the ban.

According to the president, a committee constituted to engage Twitter to explore the possibility of resolving the issue that led to the suspension of its activities in Nigeria had successfully addressed a number of key issues, including “national security and cohesion; registration of physical presence and representation; fair taxation; dispute resolution; and local content.” Continue reading

Image: Techcabal