London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Sep 12, 2025

Twitter Must Register Locally For Ban To End, Says Nigeria

Twitter Must Register Locally For Ban To End, Says Nigeria

Nigeria's Minister said Twitter had sought talks with the government saying it was used for activities threatening the country.
Twitter's suspension in Nigeria will end once the US social media giant submits to local licencing, registration and conditions, the government said on Wednesday, rejecting criticism the ban had stifled freedom of expression.

Nigeria's Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed told AFP Twitter had sought talks with the government, which last week suspended the platform's operations in the country, saying it was used for activities threatening the country's stability.

The Twitter ban on Friday has provoked outcry from the United Nations, foreign governments and rights groups who are concerned about repression of media freedoms.

"First and foremost, Twitter must register as a company in Nigeria," the minister said in an interview, when asked about lifting the ban.

"It will be licenced 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."

Twitter last week said it was deeply concerned about the block, calling access to free and open internet a basic right.

According to Twitter, the company is engaged with the Nigerian government as part of its commitment to a safe service for its users.

The Twitter ban decision came just two days after the platform had deleted a tweet from President Muhammadu Buhari's own account for violating its rules.

He had made a reference to Nigeria's civil war five decades ago when one million people died, in the context of a warning to those behind recent unrest in the country's southeast, where separatist tensions are on the rise.

At the time, the government complained Twitter had not deleted violent remarks made by a separatist leader from the southeast and also referenced Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey's support for anti-police brutality protests in Nigeria last year.

Mohammed said Twitter had became a platform for incitement for the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), an outlawed group agitating for a separate state for the Igbo people in Nigeria's southeast.

The government has blamed them for a surge in attacks on police stations and election offices in the region, a charge the group denies.

"Anywhere in the world where Twitter becomes a platform of choice for insurrection or becomes a platform of choice to promote activities that will lead to the demise of any country, I think such country should ban them," he said.

Mohammed said few countries tolerated freedom of expression like Nigeria, with its wide range of television channels, radio stations and social media platforms.

"Nobody in actual honesty can accuse Nigeria of stifling freedom of expression, if anyone wants to be honest. But there's one line you must not cross," he said.

"I use Twitter too! But the point is in the hierarchy of priorities, which one is more important? To have a peaceful Nigeria, a stable Nigeria, or a Nigeria that would not be stable and allow whatever you call freedom of expression."
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
German police raid AfD lawmaker’s offices in inquiry over Chinese payments
Turkish authorities seize leading broadcaster amid fraud and tax investigation
Volkswagen launches aggressive strategy to fend off Chinese challenge in Europe’s EV market
ChatGPT CEO signals policy to alert authorities over suicidal youth after teen’s death
The British legal mafia hit back: Banksy mural of judge beating protester is scrubbed from London court
Surpassing Musk: Larry Ellison becomes the richest man in the world
Embarrassment for Starmer: He fired the ambassador photographed on Epstein’s 'pedophile island'
Manhunt after 'skilled sniper' shot Charlie Kirk. Footage: Suspect running on rooftop during panic
Effective Protest Results: Nepal’s Prime Minister Resigns as Youth-Led Unrest Shakes the Nation
Qatari prime minister says Netanyahu ‘killed any hope’ for Israeli hostages
King Charles and Prince Harry Share First In-Person Moment in 19 Months
Starmer Establishes Economic ‘Budget Board’ to Centralise Policy and Rebuild Business Trust
France Erupts in Mass ‘Block Everything’ Protests on New PM’s First Day
Poland Shoots Down Russian Drones in Airspace Violation During Ukraine Attack
Brazilian police say ex-President Bolsonaro had planned to flee to Argentina seeking asylum
Trinidad Leader Applauds U.S. Naval Strike and Advocates Forceful Action Against Traffickers
Kim Jong Un Oversees Final Test of New High-Thrust Solid-Fuel Rocket Engine
Apple Introduces Ultra-Thin iPhone Air, Enhanced 17 Series and New Health-Focused Wearables
Macron Appoints Sébastien Lecornu as Prime Minister Amid Budget Crisis and Political Turmoil
Supreme Court temporarily allows Trump to pause billions in foreign aid
Charlie Sheen says his father, Martin Sheen, turned him in to the police: 'The greatest betrayal possible'
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
Pig Heads Left Outside Multiple Paris Mosques in Outrage-Inducing Acts
Nvidia’s ‘Wow’ Factor Is Fading. The AI chip giant used to beat Wall Street expectations for earnings by a substantial margin. That trajectory is coming down to earth.
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
On the Anniversary of Queen Elizabeth’s Death: Prince Harry Returns to Britain
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Murdoch Family Finalises $3.3 Billion Succession Pact, Ensuring Eldest Son’s Leadership
Big Oil Slashes Jobs and Investments Amid Prolonged Low Crude Prices
Court Staff Cover Up Banksy Image of Judge Beating a Protester
Social Media Access Curtailed in Turkey After CHP Calls for Rallies Following Police Blockade of Istanbul Headquarters
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
Elon Musk Poised to Become First Trillionaire Under Ambitious Tesla Pay Plan
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
Burning the Minister’s House Helped Protesters to Win Justice: Prabowo Fires Finance Minister in Wake of Indonesia Protests
Brazil Braces for Fallout from Bolsonaro Trial by corrupted judge
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
Nearly 40 Years Later: Nike Changes the Legendary Slogan Just Do It
Generations Born After 1939 Unlikely to Reach Age One Hundred, New Study Finds
End to a four-year manhunt in New Zealand: the father who abducted his children to the forests was killed, the three siblings were found
Germany Suspends Debt Rules, Funnels €500 Billion Toward Military and Proxy War Strategy
EU Prepares for War
BMW Eyes Growth in China with New All‑Electric Neue Klasse Lineup
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
US Justice Department Launches Criminal Mortgage-Fraud Probe into Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook
Escalating Drug Trafficking and Violence in Latin America: A Growing Crisis
US and Taiwanese Defence Officials Held Secret Talks in Alaska
Report: Secret SEAL Team 6 Mission in North Korea Ordered by Trump in 2019 Ended in Failure
×