Nigeria's Twitter Battle

Are you following the ongoing social media battle between the presidency and Twitter? So, a recap for those who are unaware. The Federal Government of Nigeria has indefinitely suspended the operations of the microblogging service Twitter. The suspension comes two days after Twitter deleted a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari that was widely perceived as offensive.

In that tweet on Tuesday, June 1, the President threatened to deal with people in the country's southeast, who he blames for the recurring attacks on public infrastructure in the region. He wrote

"Many of those misbehaving today are too young to be aware of the destruction and loss of lives that occurred during the Nigerian Civil War. Those of us in the fields for 30 months, who went through the war, will treat them in the language they understand". The tweet was deemed offensive, referring to the bloody killings during the Nigeria Civil War between 1967-1970."

Announcing the suspension, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, cited the persistent use of the platform for activities that are “capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.”In response to the Federal Government's announcement, telecom operators in Nigeria have restricted Twitter in Nigeria. The Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), through its President, Gbenga Adebayo, has confirmed it had received directives from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the industry regulator, to suspend access to Twitter.

Twitter users in the country woke up on Saturday, June 5 encountering difficulty in accessing Twitter while some navigated the hurdle using Virtual Private Networks (VPN). The move has been widely condemned by many social media users in Nigeria and various bodies including Amnesty International. In 2019, Nigeria Government had announced it would tighten regulations on social media to fight fake news and disinformation, sparking concerns over freedom of expression. Several countries including China and Turkey have come under fire for putting restrictions on social media platforms such as Twitter.

This unprecedented move is likely to incite other chain actions and reactions. Already, the Federal Government has mandated the National Broadcasting Commission to begin the process of licensing all social media operations in the country. This action is seen in many quarters as repressive; the beginning of a crackdown on the civic space. This will also undermine human rights in the country, where free speech will be censored. Perhaps, a shot back to the days of military rule in a country that is ironically headed by a former army general.

This is surely not the end of this saga.