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The suspension of the social media giant has hurt Nigerian businesses and has been widely condemned for its devastating impact on freedom of speech.
The Nigerian government stated that it expects to end the ban on Twitter in “a few days”, which gives users who are eager to return to the social media platform three months after the suspension takes effect.
The ban announced in June harmed Nigeria’s businesses and caused strong opposition from social media users and human rights activists because it had a devastating impact on the freedom of speech and the convenience of doing business in Africa’s most populous country.
Information Minister Lai Mohamed said at a post-cabinet media briefing on Wednesday that the government is aware of the anxiety caused by the ban among Nigerians.
“If the operation has been suspended for about 100 days now, I can tell you that we are actually only talking about a few days, and now it is only a few days,” Mohammed said, but did not give a time frame.
When being further questioned, Mohammed said that the authorities and Twitter officials must “add some I and cross T” before reaching a final agreement.
“It will be very, very fast, trust me,” he said.
A man reads a newspaper at a newsstand in Abuja, Nigeria [File: Afolabi Sotunde/Reuters]this Government suspension Twitter deleted a post by President Muhammadu Buhari in early June that threatened to punish regional separatists, which the social media giant said violated its rules. The Attorney General of Nigeria further stated that those who violate the ban should be prosecuted.
In response, dozens of Nigerians and a local human rights organization filed a lawsuit in the District Court seeking to lift the government’s ban on Twitter, saying that the decision to suspend the operation of the popular social media platform was to quell criticism.
At the time of the suspension, Mohammed stated that the government took action because “the platform continues to be used for activities that can undermine the survival of Nigerian businesses”.
This is the result of months of tension. In October last year, Twitter boss Jack Dorsey’s post encouraged donations to anti-police brutality protests, and the Biafra separatist leader Nnamdi Kanu (Nnamdi Kanu) who is currently on trial in Abuja Kanu’s Twitter post angered the authorities.
Last month, Mohammed told Reuters that the Twitter ban would be lifted by the end of this year, adding that the government is awaiting a response to three final requests made by social media platforms.
The ban is just one area of concern for free speech advocates. In the 2021 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters Without Borders, Nigeria dropped 5 places to 120. The index described Nigeria as one of the “most dangerous and difficult” countries for journalists in West Africa.
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