Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari says he has ordered a conditional lifting of the ban placed on microblogging site, Twitter.
Citing the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence, the Federal Government suspended the activities Twitter in June
But in his Independence Day broadcast, Buhari said the Twitter ban will be lifted if the microblogging site meets the conditions listed by his administration.
“I have directed that the suspension be lifted but only if the conditions are met to allow our citizens continue the use of the platform for business and positive engagements.”
“As a country, we are committed to ensuring that digital companies use their platform to enhance the lives of our citizens, respect Nigeria’s sovereignty, cultural values and promote online safety.”
The Nigerian government suspended Twitter’s Operations on June 5 after the social media network deleted a controversial tweet by President Buhari.
The suspension was condemned by many Nigerians, activists, and the international community as a clampdown on freedom of expression.
However, buoyed by the international community’s tepid follow-up to their initial calls on the Nigerian government to back down on its crackdown on the platform, the government has since doubled down on its resolve.
News outlets globally reported how the suspension has dealt a fatal blow on small-scale businesses that use the platform to reach customers and a teeming digital-happy Nigerian population.
The information minister, Lai Mohammed, a fortnight ago also said Twitter was already meeting a lot of the demands by the Nigerian Government and the suspension will be lifted soon