Nigeria had blocked Twitter for 222 days after the microblogging network deleted a tweet by the country’s president.
Nigerians can tweet again without fear of repercussions.
The Nigerian government on Jan. 13 lifted the ban on Twitter (TWTR) – Get Twitter, Inc. Report after the social media platform agreed to open a local office, among other agreements with authorities in the West African country.
Twitter will establish a legal entity in Nigeria and appoint a country representative to engage with the government when required, Bloomberg, Reuters report.
Twitter also had to agree to meet other conditions that the government set, including “managing prohibited publication in line with Nigerian law.” The social network has to pay domestic taxes as well.
“WE ARE BACK”, the National Information Technology Development Agency, or Nitda, wrote on his official Twitter account on Thursday, its first tweet since June 4.
Nigeria originally suspended Twitter on June 5, 2021, after the website removed a tweet made by President Muhammadu Buhari, who used the platform to threaten citizens following attacks on government buildings.
Why It Matters
Before the ban, Twitter’s app ranked as the sixth-most used social-media platform in the country, Bloomberg reports. The ban has therefore sparked anger among young Nigerians.
On Thursday, some couldn’t contain their joy at being able to tweet freely again.
The local chapter of Amnesty International on its Twitter account called the restrictions “illegal” and “an attack on the right to freedom of expression.”
What does Twitter say ?
Twitter is “deeply committed to Nigeria,” the San Francisco company said in a statement welcoming the restoration of its services.
At last check Twitter shares were trading little changed at $40.19.
