FG Set To Lift Ban On Twitter With Conditions
Touchaheart Nigeria reports that the Nigerian government’s ban on Twitter operation may be lifted soon, according to reports. The social media giant has reportedly met six conditions imposed by the government.
According to The Nation, the government’s Technical Committee for resolving the standoff between the two parties is fine-tuning the microblogger’s offerings before making a final recommendation to President Muhammadu Buhari.
Though the President has agreed in principle to resume Twitter’s social networking function in Nigeria, he is awaiting the committee’s findings before lifting the ban imposed on Twitter on June 4, last year.
The federal government may potentially change the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Act to include Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, and other social media sites, according to reports.
Some of the conditions Twitter agreed to include;
- Open an office in Nigeria
- Have a country representative
- Register with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC)/get National Broadcasting Commission’s licence
- Payment of fair taxes
- Sensitive to national security and cohesion. It must not undermine the nation’s security
- Train Nigerian IT personnel and strategic intelligence officers on how to report twitter abuse /infractions noticed by the government.
A source told the publication;
“From the records, Twitter has finally met six conditions set by the Federal Government for the lifting of the ban on its service in Nigeria as at the close of business in 2021.
“The operation of Twitter will now be fully regulated, including opening of office and deployment of a Country Representative. We can now hold an officer responsible for any infraction.
“Twitter only requested that the Federal Government should allow it to open the office in 2022 because there was no provision for it in its last year’s budget. Since we are in a new year, we are expecting that the office will take off soon.
“With payment of taxes, we are hopeful that the government will earn enhanced revenue from Twitter. This ban has helped to correct the lapses of the past. For instance, Twitter has been raking huge cash from Nigeria without legal backing and compliance with our revenue laws.
“Although it was alleged that Nigerians have lost over N6billion to the ban but the Federal Government has lost much more in revenue.
“In spite of recourse to VPN by some users in Nigeria, Twitter revenue slumped considerably because this alternative does not fetch income to it.
“Now, the era of impunity is gone. Twitter must register with CAC and operate in Nigeria as a business concern which it is in other parts of the world.”
