Twitter ban is lifted

In January 2022, the Nigerian government announced the restoration of Twitter's operations in the country after a seven-month suspension. The lifting came after Twitter agreed to several conditions set by Nigerian authorities, including establishing a legal entity in Nigeria, appointing a country representative, and complying with local tax obligations. The announcement was made by Kashifu Inuwa, Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), who confirmed that Twitter had met key requirements for reinstatement.

The ban had been imposed in June 2021 following Twitter's deletion of a controversial tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari that referenced the Nigerian Civil War and was deemed to violate the platform's rules against abusive behavior. The government cited concerns over Twitter's use for activities threatening Nigeria's corporate existence and accused the platform of double standards in content moderation. During the suspension, millions of Nigerian users lost direct access to the platform, though many continued using it through virtual private networks (VPNs), while businesses and civil society groups faced significant disruptions to their online activities.