Buhari orders lifting of Twitter suspension with conditions

President Muhammadu Buhari says he has directed the suspension of Twitter on conditions that citizens are allowed to use the service responsibly.

He disclosed this on Friday during an address to mark Nigeria’s 61st Independence Day anniversary.

“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,” Buhari said in his speech.

He gave the conditions as “national security and cohesion, registration physical presence and representation, fair taxation, dispute resolution and local content.”

The Nigerian government suspended Twitter’s operations earlier in June after the social media platform deleted a tweet by Buhari for breaching the site’s rules.

But the Nigerian government insisted the suspension was a matter of national security and not related to the deletion of Buhari’s tweet.

The President said his administration was committed to ensuring that digital companies use their platform to enhance the lives of Nigerian citizens.

“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,” he said.

“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 to continue the use of the platform for business and positive engagements.

“As a country, we are committed to ensuring that digital companies use their platform to enhance the lives of our citizens, respect Nigeria’s sovereignty, cultural values and promote online safety.”

The President said some users had misused social media to execute criminal activities, adding that his government suspended Twitter to check these alleged activities.

“Social media is a very useful platform that has enabled millions of Nigerians to connect with loved ones, promote their businesses, socialise, and access news and other information,” he added.

“Recent events have shown that the platform is not just an innocuous platform for information dissemination.

“Rather some users have misused the platform to organise, coordinate, and execute criminal activities, propagate fake news, and promote ethnic and religious sentiments.”

The Federal Government has consistently disclosed its intention to regulate social media in the country.

Twitter became the prime target when its CEO Jack Dorsey reportedly supported the #EndSARS protests against police brutality in October 2020.

The social media giant also decided to cite its African headquarters in Ghana, noting that “as a champion for democracy, Ghana is a supporter of free speech, online freedom, and the Open Internet, of which Twitter is also an advocate.”

Minister for information and Culture Alhaji Lai Mohammed said at a press conference in Abuja on August 11, “The ban on Twitter will soon be lifted as we are getting close to reaching full agreement,” Information Minister Lai Mohammed told reporters in Abuja on August 11.

“We have agreed on some areas, hopefully in the next few days or weeks we will conclude.”