Nigeria loses N2bn daily to Twitter ban – Report

Nigeria is losing N2bn daily to Twitter shutdown in the country, a report by NetBlocks has stated.

NetBlocks, launched in 2017, is a watchdog organisation that monitors cybersecurity and the governance of the Internet.

NetBlocks put the total cost impact of the shutdown at $6, 014, 390 and its naira equivalent at N2, 177, 089,051.

Experts have noted that a good number of Nigeria’s youth population earn their livelihood through Twitter and that such incomes will be affected by ban.

The Federal Government on Friday suspended indefinitely the operations of the microblogging and social networking service, Twitter, in Nigeria.

By this report, Nigeria has lost over N4bn since it banned Twitter on Friday.

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, announced the suspension in a statement signed by his Special Assistant Segun Adeyemi, citing the “persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.”

The Federal Government has also directed the National Broadcasting Commission to commence the process of licensing all OTT and social media operations in Nigeria.

The development is a reaction to Twitter’s deletion of President Muhammadu Buhari’s tweet, stating that his government would get “harder” on those hell-bent on destroying the country.

He said those ploting to destroy his government would receive the shock of their lives.

The President said the sponsors and orchestrators of insecurity in the country were doing so because they wanted his administration to fail.

His tweet had read, ”I receive daily security reports on the attacks on critical national infrastructure, and it is very clear that those behind them want this administration to fail. Whoever wants the destruction of the system will soon have the shock of their lives. We’ve given them enough time.

“I received a briefing today from the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on the series of attacks on their facilities nationwide. These attacks are totally unacceptable, and we will not allow those behind them to achieve their evil objectives.

“I receive daily security reports on the attacks on critical national infrastructure, and it is very clear that those behind them want this administration to fail. Whoever wants the destruction of the system will soon have the shock of their lives. We’ve given them enough time.

“I have assured INEC that we will make available to them everything they need to operate efficiently, so that no one will say we don’t want to go, or that we want a third term. There will be no excuse for failure. We will meet all of INEC’s demands.

“In the area of security, we have changed the Service Chiefs and the Inspector-General, and we are demanding that they rise fully to the challenges confronting us. There must be zero tolerance for all those bent on destroying our country by promoting crime and insurrection!

“Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War. Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand.”

The President’s Twitter account was reported by some Nigerians who understood the last part of the thread to mean a threat to kill the people of the South-East like the Nigerian government did in the Nigerian Civil War.