“I have directed that the suspension (slammed on Twitter) be lifted but…” – Buhari
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has directed the lifting of ban on operations of microblogging site, Twitter, in the African most populous nation.
Platforms Africa reports that the President, who declared this during his independence day speech to Nigerians on Friday, tasked Twitter management to meet up with “conditions to allow Nigerians continue the use of the platform for business and positive engagements.”
Nigeria had in June 2021, suspended the activities of the micro-blogging site over allegations that the platform was been used to undermine the sovereignty and security of Nigeria.
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But during his speech on Friday, President Buhari, Platforms Africa reports, disclosed that following negotiations between the government’s technical team and officials of the micro-blogging giant and agreements on a key number of issues, he has directed the lifting of the Twitter ban and ordered the resumption of activities once agreed conditions are met.
He said, “Following the suspension of Twitter operations, Twitter Inc. reached out to the Federal Government of Nigeria to resolve the impasse. Subsequently, I constituted a Presidential Committee to engage Twitter to explore the possibility of resolving the issue.
“The Committee, along with its Technical Team, has engaged with Twitter and have addressed a number of key issues. These are: National Security and Cohesion; Registration, Physical presence and Representation; Fair Taxation; Dispute Resolution; and Local Content.
“Following the extensive engagements, the issues are being addressed and I have directed that the suspension be lifted but only if the conditions are met to allow our citizens continue the use of the platform for business and positive engagements.’’
The president submitted that social media platforms should be opportunities to enhance the wellbeing of citizens, and must respect Nigeria’s sovereignty, cultural values and promote online safety.
