222 days after, the Nigerian government has lifted the ban on Twitter.
Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, director-general of the National Information Technology Development Agency announced the news via a statement.
“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…,” Abdullahi’s statement said.
It was revealed that the micro-blogging company would be working with the federal government and the broader industry “to develop a Code of Conduct in line with global best practices, applicable in almost all developed countries,”.
Abdullahi, who also chaired a joint technical committee of Nigerian and Twitter officials, said the U.S. company agreed to appoint a country representative to engage with Nigerian authorities and comply with local tax obligations.
So, far, there are no official estimates of the economic cost of Twitter’s shutdown in Africa’s most populous country since June 4 when it was announced, but NetBlocks, which estimates the cost of internet shutdowns worldwide, said Nigeria could be losing N103.1 million ($251,000) in every hour of the blockade.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari-led government had suspended Twitter’s operation on June 4, citing “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 Buhari which it said violated its community policy.
