Online Businesses Set To Boom, As FG Lifts Ban On Twitter

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…Twitter Expresses Delight Over Resumption of Operation

Online businesses are set to experience remarkable boom again as the suspension on social media platform, Twitter has been lifted by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

Analysts have pointed out that within the 222 days of suspension, the country lost about N546.5 billion. With the ban lifted now, most businesses and individuals are gearing up to recover from huge losses of the past months, while social media enthusiasts are excited to commence twitting.

Nigeria lifted the ban after the social media platform pledged to open a local office, among other agreements with the government.

Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, Director General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, said in a statement that President Muhammadu Buhari had given approval to lift the suspension.

“Twitter has agreed to act with a respectful acknowledgement of Nigerian laws and the national culture and history on which such legislation has been built…,” Abdullahi’s statement said.

Twitter would work with the federal government and the broader industry “to develop a Code of Conduct in line with global best practices, applicable in almost all developed countries,” it said.

“Therefore, the [federal government] lifts the suspension of the Twitter operations in Nigeria from midnight of 13th January 2022.”

Abdullahi, who also chaired a joint technical committee of Nigerian and Twitter officials, said the United States company agreed to appoint a country representative to engage with Nigerian authorities and comply with local tax obligations.

On the other hand, Twitter assured the Nigerian government of its commitment of driving civic participation.

It posted, “We are pleased that Twitter has been restored for everyone in Nigeria. Our mission in Nigeria and 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.

Nigerian Coordinator, Alliance for Affordable Internet (A4AI), Olusola Teniola, described the lifting of the ban as timely.

Teniola said: “It appears that FG is now comfortable with Twitter meeting its conditions and we trust that going forward continued dialogue is the norm in ensuring the engagement of the youth to building a digital economy on a platform that is highly visible, impactful and global in the digital social media space.”

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