THE Federal Government yesterday announced that it has lifted the ban on Twitter operations in the country.
The government, through the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, had on June 4, 2021, announced suspension of the microblogging platform.
Mohammed cited “the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.”
The action triggered criticisms as it came shortly after the social media network deleted a post by President Buhari in which he threatened to treat separatists “in the language they will understand.”
But after over seven months of negotiations, the government has returned Twitter to the country.
According to the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency, the American tech company accepted all of its conditions. Here are five;
1 – Nigerian office
Inuwa said, “Twitter has committed to establishing a legal entity in Nigeria during the first quarter of 2022. The legal entity will register with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC). The establishment of the entity is Twitter’s first step in demonstrating its long-term commitment to Nigeria”.
2 – Country Rep
The NITDA boss added, “Twitter has agreed to appoint a designated country representative to interface with Nigerian authorities. The Global Public Policy team is also directly available through a dedicated communication channel”
3 – Tax compliance
He said, “Twitter has agreed to comply with applicable tax obligations on its operations under Nigerian law”.
4 – Partner Support & Law Enforcement
Inuwa’s words: “Twitter has agreed to enrol Nigeria in its Partner Support and Law Enforcement Portals. The Partner Support Portal provides a direct channel for government officials and Twitter staff to manage prohibited content that violates Twitter community rules. At the same time, the Law Enforcement Portal provides a channel for the law enforcement agencies to submit a report with a legal justification where it suspects that content violates Nigerian Laws. Taken together, these represent a comprehensive compliance apparatus.
5 – Abide by media code of conduct
He added, “Twitter has agreed to act with a respectful acknowledgement of Nigerian laws and the national culture and history on which such legislation has been built and work with the FGN and the broader industry to develop a Code of Conduct in line with global best practices, applicable in almost all developed countries”.
