Nigerian president lifts ban on Twitter with conditions

Abuja, Nigeria | Xinhua | Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday said he had directed that the ban of Twitter’s operations in the country be lifted, but only if the California-based microblogging giant meets certain conditions given by the government.

In an Independence Day broadcast to mark Nigeria’s 61st independence anniversary, Buhari said his administration took the decision to allow Nigerian citizens to continue the use of the platform for business and positive engagements after Twitter reached out to the government to resolve the impasse.

The Nigerian and Twitter representatives have met to address a number of key issues bordering on national security and cohesion, Twitter’s registration, physical presence, and representation in Nigeria; fair taxation, dispute resolution, and local content, the president said.

“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,” Buhari said, explaining the government suspended the operations of Twitter in Nigeria on June 5, to allow the government to put measures in place to address identified negative trends allegedly exhibited by the social media platform.

The Nigerian leader said the government has developed some policies to enable citizens to take advantage of the prospects and avoid the perils of digital technologies.

“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,” he added.

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Xinhua