Ban of Twitter in Nigeria

From 5 June 2021 to 13 January 2022, the government of Nigeria officially banned Twitter,^[1][2] which restricted it from operating in the country. The ban occurred after Twitter deleted tweets made by, and temporarily suspended, the Nigerian president Muhammadu Buhari, warning the southeastern people of Nigeria,^[3][4] predominantly Igbo people, of a potential repeat of the 1967 Nigerian Civil War due to the ongoing insurgency in Southeastern Nigeria.^{[5][2][6][1][7][8]} The Nigerian government claimed that the deletion of the president's tweets factored into their decision, but it was ultimately based on "a litany of problems with the social media platform in Nigeria, where misinformation and fake news spread through it have had real world violent consequences",^[9] citing the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria's corporate existence.^[10]

The ban was condemned by Amnesty International,^[11] the British, Canadian and Swedish diplomatic missions to Nigeria, as well as the United States and the European Union in a joint statement.^[12][2] Two domestic organizations, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP)^[13] and the Nigerian Bar Association, indicated intent to challenge the ban in court.^[2] Twitter itself called the ban "deeply concerning".^[9]

Former U.S. president Donald Trump, who was banned on Twitter months before Nigeria's ban, praised the ban, stating "Congratulations to the country of Nigeria, who just banned Twitter because they banned their President", and also called on other countries to ban Twitter and Facebook due to "not allowing free and open speech."^[14]

Nigeria's cultural minister Lai Mohammed stated the ban would be lifted once Twitter submitted to locally licensing, registration and conditions. "It will be licensed by the broadcasting commission, and must agree not to allow its platform to be used by those who are promoting activities that are inimical to the corporate existence of Nigeria."^[15]

In January 2022, Nigeria lifted its ban after Twitter agreed to pay an "applicable tax" and establish a legal entity within the country sometime in the first quarter of 2022.^[16]