Tobi Adebayo
Nigerians have reacted to the lifting of ban placed on Twitter by the Federal Government since June 2021.
The Chairman Technical Committee Nigeria-Twitter Engagement and Director-General National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, CCIE on Wednesday announced that the microblogging platform will resume operations from 12am, Thursday, January 13th, 2021.
“The Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) directs me to inform the public that President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, has approved the lifting of the suspension of Twitter operation in Nigeria effective from 12am tonight, 13th January 2022.
“The approval was given following a memo written to the President by the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Ali Ibrahim,” the statement read in part.
Reacting to the news, a Twitter user @Ogbenidipo wrote: “The Twitter ban ruined lives and destroyed small businesses. It was needless and unproductive. The government did not achieve anything banning the platform in Nigeria. I honestly hope this never happens again.”
@islimfit tweeted: “Holiday is over for Corporate Nigeria. There’s no hiding anymore. The calling out for bad services will resume now that the ban has been lifted. All the financial institutions will hear it! All the complaints they’ve been dodging while using the ban as an excuse.”
Journalist Lekan Otufodurin tweeted “I almost asked some days ago if the federal government remembered it suspended the operations of Twitter in Nigeria. For all they cared, it would remained suspended for as long as possible. Those who stayed away are welcomed back. Some of us never left.”
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A former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili asked “Did @Twitter meet @NigeriaGov’s conditions? For instance, do they have a Nigerian office now?”
@DrFunmilayo tweeted: “BREAKING: 222 Days after the Ban, The lunatic Buhari Govt announces the lifting of the Twitter ban from 12am this midnight. Gained nothing.
Achieved nothing. Ruined businesses. Nigeria has lost about 1 billion dollars because a mad President felt his ego crushed by Twitter.”
@generaloluchi tweeted “My question to Lai Mohammed now that Twitter has been restored in Nigeria: is its in Nigeria no longer suspect? That was what he said in the first week of the ban. What changed??? Is the platform no longer a threat to Nigeria?”
