Nigeria’s government announced lifting of its seven-month ban on Twitter. The West African nation demanded from the social network a clear agreement to various conditions, AllAfrica repots.
Twitter stressed in its statement that social network is “deeply committed to Nigeria”. Welcoming the restoration of its services in the African country, Twitter agreed to establish a legal entity in Nigeria and appoint a country representative to engage with the government when required.
As the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) said in a Wednesday statement, the imminent end of the suspension is the start of a new era for the San Francisco-based social media giant.
Nigeria’s government blocked access to Twitter on June 5 for violating rules.
Twitter’s fresh start in Nigeria
Twitter decided in April to place its first product and engineering team on the African continent in Ghana, applauding the country as “a supporter of free speech, online freedom, and the Open Internet.”
The Wednesday resolution will also provide “economic and training opportunities” as Twitter “continues to consider expanding its presence in Nigeria,” NITDA said.
While many Nigerians continued to use Twitter via virtual private networks, the ban caused considerable frustration and anger in the country, especially among the country’s largely youthful population. Before the ban, Twitter’s app ranked as the sixth-most used social media platform in the country.
Criticizing “those who prioritised politics over patriotism and exhibited disingenuous righteousness” over the suspension, Labour Minister Festus Keyamo said “Nigeria is eventually better off for it” on his Twitter page.
