Twitter Ban

One thing about the Buhari government is that it’s never met a problem it can’t ban. It doesn’t matter if it’s souvenirs at government events or a social media company that won’t allow the president tweet whatever he wants.

The government’s hard-on for banning or censoring things was what informed the ill-fated attempts to pass anti-social media bills, to regulate the spaces where Nigerians more freely express themselves. Those attempts have failed so far, but the Buhari government works harder than the devil so it’s no surprise there’s a new attempt.

While Nigerians celebrated June 13th, 2022, as a public holiday in honour of the June 12th democracy day, the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) made an announcement. This announcement was about a draft document for the Code of Practice for Interactive Computer Service Platforms/Internet Intermediaries and Conditions for Operating in Nigeria. It’s quite a mouthful, but the summary of it is, “Attention kids, we have some brand new rules for online platforms in Nigeria.”

Before diving into the meat of the government’s ~~ransom~~ demands, it’s important to note that much of the code is targeting the spread of “prohibited material” online. But what are prohibited materials according to this document? The list covers things that violate public interest, morality, order, security, peace and the rule of law. So…pretty much anything. Prohibited material could be amala slander, or calling the president an incompetent travel blogger.

Doesn’t matter if it’s a naming ceremony in Djibouti or a youth conference in Iceland, Bubu loves a good reason to travel.

So, what are these new rules that look like social media regulation, you ask?

NITDA wants online platforms to snitch on users

Sure, this snitching won’t happen without a court order (wink, wink), but online platforms are to provide any information to assist government agencies investigate and prosecute users. It wouldn’t matter if your Twitter handle is @precious_catfish76432, Twitter would have to hand over all that backend identifying information you don’t know they have.

24-hour order to delete “prohibited material”

If you post online that “Pounded yam is the most overrated swallow in the world”, and a Nigerian government agency flags it as unlawful content (and, let’s face it, we all know you’re lying here), the online platform is obligated to delete that post within 24 hours. Any information deemed to have violated Nigerian law gets the chop.

The government wants to slide directly into the DMs to ~~moan~~ complain

The NITDA code also mandates online platforms to open up dedicated channels for government agencies to directly lodge complaints on content deemed to be unlawful or harmful to others. These platforms also need to write their findings and resolutions of complaints to the complainant.

ALSO READ: Lai Mohammed Is Itching to Give Facebook the Twitter Treatment

NITDA wants verification powers

NITDA also wants the online platforms operating in Nigeria to give it the power to verify official government accounts. The agency wants to reserve the right to grant or withdraw approval of verification and dictate action to the platforms.

Physical presence

The government is mandating the physical presence of online platforms operating in the country. This includes registering as a legal entity and appointing a designated country representative so they know whose shirt to hold when a platform disobeys orders from above.

Media education for users

The government also compels the online platforms to conduct media literacy programmes, educating users on critical thinking and informed decisions when they encounter false information online. Okay, maybe this one isn’t so bad because we need to know how to spot misinformation, disinformation and mass-report lies like this:

What’s the danger of the NITDA Code?

Like all of the previous attempts at social media regulation in Nigeria, the NITDA Code is another vessel to undermine citizen engagement in the final frontiers where government control is limited. The blanket definition of terms like “prohibited material” gives the government an undue advantage to further suppress the freedom of speech in Nigeria. This code affects platforms like Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok and Google.

What can Nigerians do?

Resist. The NITDA Code is still a draft copy for the public to review and offer feedback. You can email NITDA at info@nitda.gov.ng to give them constructive feedback. Before the code becomes operational, you can also contact your National Assembly representatives here and compel them to move a motion on the topic in the chambers. Your freedom to continue to say “Buhari has been a bad boy” depends on this repackaged social media regulation bill ending in the dustbin.

ALSO READ: 5 Nigerians Laws That Shouldn’t Exist

Samson Toromade

June 15, 2022

Citizen

Facebook, Nigeria, Social media regulation, Twitter Ban
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, doesn’t shy away from a fight. And as the mouthpiece of the Buhari administration, there’s an abundance of battles to always keep him engaged. His job is to assure everyone that the country is running smoothly even when the inflation rate is skyrocketing, and insecurity is taking more dangerous dimensions.

Lai Mohammed is also the kind of guy to spearhead a campaign like denying the Lekki massacre or justifying why the government would ban T w itter for deleting the president’s tweet.

On May 17th 2022, the minister called for a meeting with Facebook. You may remember the app as Mark Zuckerberg’s brainchild. Mohammed had one thing on his agenda for this meeting: the online activity of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

Quick Take: What’s IPOB?

IPOB is a pressure group fighting for the separation of the South-East region from the rest of Nigeria. The government declared the group a terrorist organisation in 2017, shortly after IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, jumped bail and escaped abroad while facing trial for treasonable felony. Nigeria re-arrested him in 2021 and he’s back in the country facing a prolonged trial.

The Nigerian government has blamed IPOB for the escalation of violent acts that have recently plagued the South-East region. The group has used social media to coordinate its messaging with influential supporters abroad egging those in Nigeria on to commit criminal acts in order to pressure the government.

The BBC recently published an investigation that revealed IPOB supporters abroad are using Facebook particularly to spread hate speech and disinformation. They routinely use the app to spread broadcasts preaching violence against the targets of their conspiracy theories. They also sometimes switch into local languages to avoid moderation from social media platforms like Facebook.

ALSO READ: How Are Nigerians Dealing With NIN-SIM Ban?

Rewind: Twitter ban

The Nigerian government banned Twitter in June 2021, days after the app deleted a careless tweet by President Buhari. To throw the scent off the real reason for the ban, the government claimed it was a measure to safeguard Nigeria’s national security. Apparently, one of the government’s security concerns included Twitter’s refusal to censor Nnamdi Kanu’s account despite his posts instigating violence against Nigerian security officers in the South-East before his arrest. That justification is now resurfacing and could also be used to whip Facebook.

Lai Mohammed’s tango with Facebook

At the May 17th 2022 meeting, Lai Mohammed complained that Facebook isn’t taking the Nigerian government seriously enough. The government has filed numerous reports against IPOB accounts, but he said Facebook aired these reports. The minister believes Facebook’s tactics against IPOB’s spread of hate speech are “totally ineffective”. Essentially, he gave Facebook an F9.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Lai Mohammed warned that the government will continue to watch Facebook to ensure compliance with the demands made to censor IPOB and other bad-faith actors in Nigeria. The minister said all he wants is the responsible use of social media in the country. He also accused critics of always misinterpreting his campaign as an attempt to suppress free speech.

The Twitter ban was partly an attempt to strike fear into the hearts of media platforms operating in Nigeria. If Lai Mohammed’s warnings are to be taken seriously, the breakfast is about to move onto Facebook’s table.

ALSO READ: Buhari’s Weirdest Decisions We Thought Were April Fool’s Day Jokes But Weren’t

Samson Toromade

May 25, 2022

Citizen

Facebook, Lai Mohammed, Twitter Ban
Leadership is hard. Being the president of a multi-ethnic and multi-religious country of over 200 million people like Nigeria must be even harder. So, maybe we have some sympathy for whoever dares to occupy that seat.

But there are certain actions that presidents take that make us scratch our heads, wondering if they’re being serious or messing with us like it’s April Fool’s Day.

President Buhari is no stranger to making some of these baffling decisions and leaving Nigerians caught in a confused state of crying and laughing.

For April Fool’s Day, we compiled some of President Bubu’s decisions that should have stayed in the drafts.

Twitter ban

All Twitter did was delete an offensive tweet that Lord Commander Buhari tweeted on his account, and he went into 48 Laws of Power mode to suspend the social media service in June 2021.

Law 15: Crush Your Enemy Totally

Buhari lifted the suspension in January 2022 but has refused to tweet on his personal account. All that aggression for what?

Cutting down trees to fight dollars

One of Buhari’s most defining battles as president in the past seven years has been to defend the dignity of the naira against the dollar. He’s not doing a great job because $1 was ₦197 when he assumed office in May 2015, but $1 is now ₦416 in 2022. However, his failure to arrest the decline of the naira doesn’t mean he hasn’t put up a spirited fight because he once cut down trees to make the naira valuable.

What did these trees in Abuja do to harm the naira? Well, they provided shed for money changers who were selling dollars at black market rates considered to be harmful to the value of the naira.

Closure of land borders

Supreme Leader Bubu woke up one morning in August 2019 and ordered that Nigeria’s land borders be shut down, because of rice. The man took “There’s rice at home” too literally and crippled international trade with neighbouring countries because he wanted to stop the smuggling of foreign rice into Nigeria.

Immediately the borders were shut, the inflation rate increased consistently for the next 19 months. Buhari approved the reopening of the land borders in December 2020 and has said that the policy failed, but that it also succeeded. There’s a set-up for a good joke here, but we’re not great at the comedy thing like the president.

ALSO READ: Why’s Everyone Fighting Over Section 84 of the Electoral Act?

Amnesty for Boko Haram terrorists

There’s a Nigerian tailor making a killing every time Boko Haram members graduate as “repentant” terrorists

Boko Haram terrorists are directly responsible for the death of around 35,000 people and the displacement of more than two million people since 2009. A 2021 report by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) noted that the terrorists’ activities have indirectly led to 314,000 additional deaths.

Yet, Buhari in his wisdom started a rehabilitation programme called Operation Safe Corridor for terrorists to surrender in exchange for amnesty. More than 1,000 former “repentant” terrorists have graduated from this programme and have been reintegrated back into society, and more than 35,000 are waiting in line.

ALSO READ: How Buhari Has Freed 1,629 “Repentant” Boko Haram Members

Despite the international support that the rehabilitation programme has, local support has been impossible to get. The still terrorised communities that have to embrace these supposedly-repentant terrorists have especially not been very welcoming. Some of these communities have asked Buhari to host the “repentant” terrorists at Aso Rock instead. That’s not an unreasonable demand.

Souvenir killjoy

“Buhari bans souvenirs at government events” is not a headline that made the rounds enough, but that’s something the president did in 2016. Buhari banned Federal Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) from buying and distributing bags, t-shirts and other souvenirs at events such as conferences and seminars. He did this to cut down on government spending.

Seeing as Nigerians love to party, we assume the MDAs received Buhari’s memo, laughed it off as an April Fool’s Day joke and ordered more rechargeable mini hand fans to distribute at the next government owambe.

ALSO READ: The Motion: Should First-Class Graduates Get Automatic Government Jobs?

Samson Toromade

April 1, 2022

Citizen

April Fool's Day, Muhammadu Buhari, Twitter Ban
After seven months of fasting, trials, and tribulations, we can finally log on to Paraga’s app without VPNs? Brothers and sisters, this right here, is what we call a miracle. Could all of this have been avoided if Bubu had just unlooked and focused on borrowing more money? Yes. But like Michael Jackson said, “They don’t really care about us.” To celebrate our “legal” return to Twitter streets, we’ve decided to compile memes that accurately describe the situation in the country now that the ban has been lifted.

1. People who just renewed their VPN subscription looking at the rest of us celebrate

So some of you were paying for VPN? It’s giving wealth and opulence. What happened to free VPN, dears? Well, sorry for your loss sha.

2. Banks, brands and other government compliant agencies getting ready to hit the Twitter streets

They’ve already started posting cringe TikTok challenges. Must affliction rise again? Please, focus on responding to your customers on time. We don’t pay you to dance.

3. Nigerians returning from all the countries VPN took them to

Who said you can’t travel without visa? Call them a detty liar and tell them about all the trips you took thanks to your VPN. If there’s one thing we’ll miss about the ban, it’s the way we were confusing other countries’ Twitter trends during the height of BBNaija. Good times.

4. What the Nigerian government thought we would do, but we have coconut heads

Beg? Nigerian youths? It’s like they don’t know who we are. Give us fire, and we will use it to turn semo.

5. Our followers increasing out of nowhere

Please, why are all of you following us? We know we are funny and the most happening babes in town, but this increase feels a bit suspicious. We are sleeping with one eye opened.

6. A visual of us trying to revive our phone batteries after months of VPN suffering

Ayomide, rise, don’t waste my money.

7. Nigerian police after they realize they can’t harass because of Twitter anymore

I guess it’s time to go back to tattoos and dreadlocks.

8. Nigerian politicians ready to begin another round of detty lies

We see you. We know you. We won’t vote for you.

9. Customer service agents knowing that they’ve entered one chance

You guys were not picking our calls. Well, Twitter is back and we can drag your companies by their dirty undies in public. Get ready to start responding to tweets with “Hi Sola, how may we help you?”

10. Nigerians celebrating freedom from VPN even though we know this is decision was an campaign tactic

We know what they’re doing, but we still celebrate regardless because we have been in the trenches for too long.

Conrad Johnson-Omodiagbe

January 14, 2022

Inside Life

citizen, funny nigerians, Memes, Nigerian Twitter ban, Twitter Ban, VPN
We don’t care if you enjoy sex or not. The damage caused by that act is enough and it is time for the government to abolish sex in Nigeria. Here are 11 good reasons why this must happen ASAP.

1. Sex brings pregnancy.

Be honest with yourself, do you want pregnancy at this time?

2. Pregnancy brings babies, and babies steal your peace of mind.

And then the child grows up to hate you, despite everything you did for them. Is this how you want your life to go?

3. Sex makes you confused. You start wondering if it’s love you are feeling.

And like this, they will take you for an idiot. You will begin to condone nonsense in the name of love. We don’t want that for you, so we all need to come together to beg the government to ban this act.

4. Sex is too sweet.

And we all know doctors and dentists don’t recommend things that are too sweet. So, it’s best to choose health over hot fok.

5. Sex is messy and sweaty.

Imagine bathing and smelling nice, only to be rough handled by someone and getting their saliva in your mouth and their sweat all over your body? Imagine getting your hair scattered, and your legs spread apart like a television’s antenna? God forbid abeg. We need to ban such a dirty act.

6. Let’s be honest, sex is unproductive use of our time.

Time you should be using to harvest yam and better your lives or advancing in your career, you are using it to bend over or get bent over while someone is grabbi— Oh no, this act deserves to be abolished.

7. All the heat from hot fok is causing global warming.

Global warming is a serious environmental crisis. Why must you choose to damage your environment because of hot fok? Do you not care about survival?

8. Sex is the leading cause of cheating in Nigeria.

Yes. Yes. Yes. The earlier we abolish sex, the longer relationships and marriages last.

9. Our population is already plenty enough.

We need a moratorium on sex until things normalise. We cannot afford to lapse into overpopulation.

10. Sex makes people scream “Jesus” and “Oh my God”

First of all, do you nasty sinners not fear anything? What if your noise encourages our creator to hasten His second coming?

11. Buhari was angry that all we use Twitter for is sex, so he banned it.

Abolish sex today so we can get Twitter back today.

[donation]

Kunle Ologunro

November 4, 2021

Inside Life

abolish sex, ban sex, Buhari, Humour, sex-life, Twitter Ban
We have written about some of the ways the Twitter ban affects Nigerians. Here’s a list of the ways the ban affects Nigerian women. It will affect their access to:

1. Learning opportunities

Twitter has always been a source of information to many women. In an article published yesterday, some women talked about how they learnt about feminism on Twitter. Twitter also provides a space to unlearn harmful ideas such as toxic relationship ideals.

2. Support from other women

Twitter also provides Nigerian women with support they would otherwise not have access to. For example, women can reach out to non-government organiszations like Stand To End Rape and the Consent Workshop on Twitter for sexual harrassmemnt cases; The Initiative For Equal Rights for queer women. Mental health care organizations like Mentally Aware Nigeria and She Writes Women are also easily accessible on Twitter.

3. Community

Many communities for women were built on Twitter because of its real-time communication feature. The protests against gender-based violence that broke out in June 2020 started and was organised on Twitter.

Many women talk about how they have made friends who have turned into family on Twitter.

4. Some form of justice

Over the past few years, Nigerian women have used Twitter to call out abusers and rapists as the justice system often dismisses cases of violence against women as minor issues or family disputes.

5. Job opportunities

Many Nigerian women have found jobs on Twitter, simply by replying to a tweet or by cold emailing a founder to offer their services. Scholarship opportunities as well as creative workshop opportunities are also easily available on Twitter.

6. A space to raise awareness for women centred causes

Twitter has been a space to raise awareness for causes that concern women such as gender based violence, endometriosis, cervical cancer, postpartum depression and even less known symptoms of pregnancy.

7. Business

Nigerian women like other people around the world sell their products on Twitter. Some women combine Twitter with other social media platforms while others prefer the control using one platform gives them. With the Twitter ban, many of them have stopped tweeting and have had to chase alternative means to generate revenue.

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Mariam Sule

June 11, 2021

Her

Twitter, Twitter Ban
Amongst the other things Twitter is to people — the source of information and access to opportunities, it is also a place to find the love of your life. In this article, eight Nigerian women talk about meeting their partners on Twitter.

Lili

My partner and I started talking on Twitter in 2016. He tweeted something about being irreligious and I found it ludicrous. I messaged him for his number and we started talking. We met for the first time at a creative event and remained friends. We slowly went from talking once in a while to talking every day. Occasional hangouts followed, and by January 2019 we had started dating.

Amaka

My boyfriend and I had been following each other for a while, but I don’t think we ever interacted until last year. One day, I tweeted that I needed a plug for something and he sent me a vendor’s contact.

A few months later, I deactivated my account because life was being a bitch. He noticed I was gone for a while and when I returned, he messaged me to check in. Checking in turned to hours on the phone. We both love music so we would listen to music together over the phone via Spotify’s group session.

A week later, we decided to meet in person. The morning of the meeting, he told me he liked me and I responded, “Oh, you do? I had absolutely no idea. It’s not like we spent hours on the phone depriving each other of sleep like we don’t have work.” That weekend was the best weekend I had had in a while. We started dating a month later and we are 10 months in now.

Omegie

I had given up trying to find a partner in real life and I felt like Twitter would be a better place to find love. I thought I could easily find people like myself whose values aligned with mine. My partner and I met in March. She wasn’t active on Twitter but we had interacted a few times. One day, I tweeted, “Like this tweet and I will tell you what I think about you.” She liked it and I messaged. We immediately clicked in a way I hadn’t with anyone else before. We moved to WhatsApp and started doing video calls. We officially started dating in May. Sometimes, I wish we met in real life because Twitter is where I hide from reality. I tweet all my thoughts unguarded so her having access to that makes me feel watched but she’s reasonable and understanding. We hardly interact on the timeline and I think that’s because we have a lot of other platforms that we talk more on. I go through our old Twitter chats when I need something to smile about.

Layo

My boyfriend and I went to the same primary school. We weren’t in the same set, so we weren’t in contact. One day, a video of him went viral and I messaged him to ask if he went to our primary school. He said yes and that’s how we started talking. We met a couple of times and it’s been great ever since.

Nene

Before my partner and I started dating, I had been seeing her tweets. She looked hot and seemed to have sense but I wasn’t sure she was queer.

One day, I texted her to say she looked familiar and that she is really cute. It turned out her sister and I went to school together. I thought it would be a turn off for her but it wasn’t. We kept talking and two weeks later, we went out together. That day, I realized that she was someone I didn’t want to ever be without. Every day, I experience love in new ways with her. It feels good to watch myself change positively.

Ella

When I relocated to his state, I put up a tweet asking people in that state to like it. He did that and commented. That’s how we became friends. Although we hit it off, we had no intentions of dating. This changed when we met a month ago and realized that we were in love. We have been dating for a few weeks.

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Memuna

Twitter suggested my account to my husband for him to follow. He said he looked at my profile picture and read my blog before following me. I saw his profile picture, and I followed back. He messaged to say hello and that’s how we started chatting every day.

We met up a few weeks later and it went well. We started dating shortly after. Now, we are married with two kids.

Ife

I followed my boyfriend on Twitter. His bio at the time was, “I am a lot of things.” I messaged him asking him to share some of the things he was. His reply was funny and the conversation continued. We talked off and on for about eight months. We started talking about feelings in January 2020. By February, we started dating.

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Mariam Sule

June 8, 2021

Her

relationships, Twitter, Twitter Ban
Twitter Ban: The Nigerian Broadcasting Commission, in a statement issued today has ordered all Nigerian broadcasting stations to delete their Twitter accounts.

The letter to the broadcasting organisations terms it as “unpatriotic” for any broadcaster in Nigeria to continue to use Twitter as a source of information gathering and dissemination in Nigeria.

Different variations of the letter exist, but they typically say the same thing.

See for yourself:

Twitter Ban: Just in case you’re out of the loop:

On June 4, 2021, the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, announced through a Twitter thread that it had indefinitely suspended Twitter operations in Nigeria. The suspension came after Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, “announced the suspension in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, citing the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.”

On June 5, 2021, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami directed that people violating the Twitter ban should immediately be prosecuted.

Here’s why we think the Twitter ban is unconstitutional.

David Odunlami

June 7, 2021

Citizen

Twitter Ban
The Twitter ban in Nigeria affects Nigerians in many different ways. From business owners to already marginalised groups. So, these seven Nigerians talk about how the Twitter ban in Nigeria affects their mental health.

Jane

It’s just not the Twitter ban in Nigeria per se, it’s the general state of Nigeria. Everything about this country is so bad. The future is so uncertain because I don’t have the money to relocate. I am just anxious and I don’t know what is going to happen to all of us. I am not doing okay.

Anita

The ban is affecting me deeply. I usually open this app impulsively to just say whatever is on my mind and to vent, but I can’t do that anymore. The VPN is messing with my other apps, so it is like a tiny inconvenience that’s giving me a serious tension headache.

Peace

I’m fully aware of the fact that this country will move mad and I need to get the fuck out of here with immediate alacrity because one small declaration can destabilise my entire life. I have three remote jobs. An internet shutdown means I’d be unable to work, and I might lose my job or lose hours ( I charge per hour) and my employers would be unable to trust that I can do the job, through no fault of mine.

I’m literally scared. Freedom of speech is so important – I even have an entire business and product I’m building around it and plan to launch in 2022. It would wreck all my sources of income.

Tolu

The fact that the possibility of being able to japa for my family is ridiculously low has me stressed. I’m scared and I’ve been upset at my parents because when we had the opportunity to leave, my dad turned it down. Now, we’re here.

Amaka

My parents are not urgent about leaving, and I feel like I’m being paranoid or overreacting. We can leave if we want to, but they’re just praying for the best and whatnot. It stresses me out.

Kunle

It’s definitely made me more agitated. Now that there’s a Twitter ban in Nigeria, I’m constantly worrying about what they are going to come for next. I’m worried that if we lose Twitter, we’ve lost all our free speech. Twitter is the only place we can disseminate information without any arbitrary regulatory body sanctioning us. I’m very scared of what will come next.

Daniel

Before the Twitter ban, I was on a Twitter cleanse because I was spending too much time on the app. I also work a lot on Twitter so I needed to get off the app. Since I was already off for a few weeks, the ban didn’t affect me in the sense that they were taking something I needed away from me. It affected me in the sense that I’m actually in Nigeria where a minister can order that the people’s rights be taken from them and the order will be executed. It’s scary.

For more on what goes on inside the life, please click here

[donation]

Itohan Esekheigbe

June 7, 2021

Inside Life

mental health, Nigerians, Nigerians on twitter, Twitter Ban
First of all, let’s start by seeing that the Nigerian government banning Twitter during Pride month is possibly peak homophobia. Twitter has been a digital safe space for queer Nigerians and has provided them with a community, which is commendable considering how much the Same-Sex Marriage Prohibition Act fractured the queer community and social life.

Today, as we wait for further news on the Twitter ban in Nigeria, we’re celebrating Pride Month by speaking to five Nigerians about how Twitter has helped changed their lives.

Ore, 20.
I realized I was non-binary through Twitter. I thought I was just a very fem gay boy for a long time. It was when I joined Twitter and met people that I learned what it means to be cis or trans. Twitter walked me through my transition, the name change, moving to a new apartment, and everything else. I probably never would’ve known what it is like to be comfortable in my skin.

Peter, 26.
I met my partner on Twitter and best friends on Twitter. I didn’t have a community in any way for a long time until I discovered the queer side of Twitter. It’s funny but straight people don’t realize how essential having a community is to a person’s quality of life. Twitter gave me a community.

Eunice, 25.
I got sexually assaulted almost two years ago by someone who wanted to ‘cure me of lesbianism’. I didn’t know what to do because if I told my family, they would just blame me. So I tweeted about it and a girl who works for an NGO DMed me. She gave me directions on how to get medical help and sent me money. When I explained that it was a case of corrective rape, she helped me make security plans and eventually to transfer to a different university.

George, 22.
In 2019, I got fired from my job because my boss discovered I was gay by seeing my Twitter account. When I shared that on Twitter, people surrounded me and showered me with love. Someone also gave me connections with a company to join as their intern which I did, now I’m a full staff. That was only possible because of Twitter.

Benny, 23.
I came out to my parents late last year and I thought they would be supportive. However, they weren’t and became bullies. They bullied me and even called a pastor to come and pray for me. I asked someone to create and share a GoFundMe page for me on Twitter. They did, and that was how I got enough money to leave my parents home and enough to survive on till I found my feet.
- Names have been changed for the sake of privacy.
Desmond

June 7, 2021

Inside Life

Inside life, queer people, Twitter Ban
On the 4th of June, 2021, the Nigerian government banned Nigerians from using Twitter. This came after Twitter deleted a threatening tweet posted by the Nigerian president. The implications of the Twitter ban in Nigeria is far reaching and would affect different segments of the Nigerian demographic in different ways.

Exactly 24 hours ago, the government of Nigeria announced the suspension of @Twitter operations in Nigeria. Since then, the country has lost N2,177,089,051 ($6,014,390) based on the Cost of Shutdown Tool.

The loss continues at a rate of N90,712,044 ($250,600) every hour! https://t.co/a098JiQW4w pic.twitter.com/MKQbm4pagW
— Paradigm Initiative (PIN) (@ParadigmHQ) June 5, 2021

We decided to speak to a few business owners who run their business via social media, and specifically Twitter, about how this ban is affecting their business already or will affect their business and here’s what they said:

Susan – Thrift Clothes Business

The ban has already affected me even thought it just came into effect. I didn’t know about the ban until this morning. I was off Twitter all of yesterday. I was trying to log into my business Twitter all to no avail. At first, I thought Twitter was down or that they had suspended my account. When I mentioned it to a friend, they told me what had happened and helped me download VPN. Apparently, in the short time I was trying to log in to Twitter, a customer had sent me several DMs. Luckily, they understood why I wasn’t responding on time. I can’t imagine a world where I have to constantly use VPN before I access Twitter. I can already see it draining my battery all the time, which is annoying. I use Instagram too, but I’ve realised that a lot of my customers come from Twitter, so it’s really worrying to me.

Olumide – PR Agent

I own a music PR agency and I get most of my clients and traction from Twitter. I’m currently using VPN because I have a few deals to close. Imagine there was no VPN, just imagine. The country is a ticking time bomb, because imagine the amount I would’ve lost if there was no VPN. When will someone not carry gun?

Liz – Fashion Business

I haven’t fully processed what the Twitter ban means for my business, it’s really a lot to be honest.
Apart from the free exposure from likes and RTs, Twitter really helped me gain customers when I started out my fashion business. I feel like I’ve already lost a sizeable portion of potential customers thanks to this ban. It’s going to be a lot harder to get customers or new orders if no one can even access the platform that helped us gain them in the first place. A lot of small businesses rely heavily on Twitter, and I guess the biggest thing is for us to restrategise and make use of the other platforms to reach new customers.

Sola – Food Business

The entire climate of the country has affected my business, not even just the Twitter ban. If my people don’t have money or are thinking about how to survive in this harsh, wicked government, is it snacks that they’ll be thinking about? The Twitter ban just made it worse. On weekends, we sell out. We have lots of orders. I have never seen a dry day like today, since maybe October. It’s tiring.

Ewa – Jewelry Business

I’ve tried not to think about it because, Twitter gave my business visibility. I first started on Instagram, ran ads multiple times but I got only one customer from there. But as soon as I started on Twitter, I’ve gotten more customers, plus I’m able to reach a lot more timelines just because of retweets and likes. This Twitter ban is just going to affect it all; if I’m not able to tweet about my business, how am I going to get customers ? People don’t even trust Instagram vendors anymore.

Onome – Social Media Manager & Content Creator

The Twitter ban is very upsetting because it’s affecting what my business is now. I am a content creator and a social media manager which means a lot of work is on Twitter and managing social media. I work for brands, manage their Twitter and Instagram. After the ban was announced, the office said to stop posting for Twitter because they didn’t want the brand to be caught disobeying Nigeria’s “law”. If this Twitter ban in Nigeria continues, I forsee social media managers losing their jobs. Imagine being a Twitter influencer without Twitter; of course you will go out of business because a major source of livelihood has been cut off. I just started having customers on Twitter after 4 years of putting in work. Now, what happens to it? There’s a lot of anxiety. Twitter is what helps you grow, where the interactions take place. Even people who follow you on Instagram find you on Twitter first. Once, someone told me she patronised me because she searched my handle on Twitter and found no bad reviews. If we are being honest, no other website can be like Twitter.

Divine – Breakfast Business

I graduated 2 years ago and after a year of unemployment, I started my breakfast business which functions 100% online. I started using Twitter to market my business and make sales. Twitter alone brought in over 65% of my profit which I’ve used to fend for myself and family. I have met a lot of investors who are ready to enlarge my business so as to create more employment for other people too. This Twitter ban in Nigeria would not only destroy my source of livelihood but also cut me off from potential investors. I am a responsible Nigerian graduate who is only trying to survive.

Ope

June 6, 2021

Citizen

Business owners, economy, Nigerian Twitter ban, Twitter Ban, Twitter Ban In Nigeria
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami has directed that people violating the Twitter ban should immediately be prosecuted.

Yesterday, the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture announced through a Twitter thread that it had indefinitely suspended Twitter operations in Nigeria. The suspension came after Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, “announced the suspension in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, citing the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.”

Umar Gwandu, Malami’s spokesman, disclosed this in a statement titled, ‘Twitter ban: Malami orders prosecution of offenders.’

According to the statement, “Malami directed the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation (DPPF) to liaise with the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy, Nigerian Communications Commission and other relevant government agencies to ensure the speedy prosecution of offenders without any further delay.”

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David Odunlami

June 5, 2021

Citizen

Twitter Ban
On June 4, 2021, the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture announced through a Twitter thread that it had indefinitely suspended Twitter operations in Nigeria. The suspension came after Nigeria’s Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, “announced the suspension in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, citing the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.”

The censorship of Twitter by the Nigerian government has been termed by many as a blatant disregard of the constitutional provision of Fundamental Human Rights for Nigerians, an autocratic action in a democratic government, and something to be deeply worried about.

Here’s why:

The provision for the Fundamental Human Rights for Nigerians can be found in Chapter 4 of the Nigerian Constitution. Section 39, under this chapter, details our right to freedom of expression and the press, and Section 40, our right to peaceful assembly and association.

Freedom of expression means that every Nigerian is “entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference.” By using Twitter to express our opinions, we are expressing our freedom of expression. No government should take that away from its citizens.

Section 40 states that “Every person shall be entitled to assemble freely and associate with other persons.” Nigerians socially gather on Twitter. Technology means that peaceful assembly and association don’t have to be physical. Nigerians are expressing their right to peaceful assembly by using Twitter. No government should take that away from its citizens.

“But what happens when these rights are misused by the citizens?”

There are cases where the government, in the best interest of the citizens and the country, temporarily override the fundamental human rights of the citizens.

Here’s an example: Section 41 of the constitution provides Nigerians with the right to freedom of movement. Last year, there were a series of government imposed lockdowns because of the Coronavirus pandemic. Another example is the death penalty: We have the right to life, but if we decide to kill, then there’s a sentence, which takes away our own right to life.

Does this mean that the government can decide to negate our rights whenever they want? The answer is no. Why?

Section 45: Restriction on and derogation from fundamental human rights.

Section 45 of the constitution states that our fundamental human rights are no longer “valid” if they’re against
1. “The interest of defence, public safety, public order, public morality or public health; or
2. The rights and freedom or other persons.”
In these situations, there are due processes to follow, based on the principle of checks and balances between the arms of government. Derogations go through due processes, such as judicial checks and court approvals.

So even if the Nigerian government wanted to infringe on our rights to expression, and peaceful assembly, by stating that our use of Twitter goes against public safety, public order, public morality, public health, or rights and freedom or other persons, they had to go through the judiciary – who are on a strike – and not just through the words of minister Lai Mohammed.
David Odunlami

June 5, 2021

Citizen

Twitter Ban
Bants aside, over the past 10 years, Twitter has grown to be a source of livelihood, companionship and information. This ban as declared by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture has a ripple effect on millions of Nigerians. Here are six ways Nigerians will be affected by the ban:

1. Business sales/conversions

Many Nigerian small businesses use Twitter as their sole storefront while others combine efforts with other social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook. For smaller businesses, owning a Twitter account sidesteps the hassle of sourcing and renting a physical store. Bigger businesses use Twitter to update customers on new products and address immediate concerns about their product or service. With this ban, these businesses will be cut off from loyal users as well as potential markets.

2. Job opportunities

Alongside the banter tweets across the timeline, tweets like this often go viral.

https://twitter.com/lara0gunt0mi/status/1355972230291857410?s=21

Sometimes, these people come back to tweet that they got the job. Twitter has also been instrumental in calling out fake job opportunities. A Twitter ban curtails access to information like this.

3. Visibility

Minorities which include smaller ethnic groups, the LGBTQ community, the differently-abled community and other underrepresented groups use Twitter to discuss issues that affect them. This helps them gain visibility and many times, help from random strangers on the internet. This also applies to atrocities committed by the government or criminal cases such as the Lekki Toll Gate Shooting or robbery hotspots across the country which might otherwise go without any demand for accountability. More recently, people tweet pictures of their missing loved ones in hopes that someone has some information about them.

4. Information

Nigerian youth use Twitter as a source of news. As Television and radio compete with social media platforms and streaming services, Nigerian youth rely on Twitter as a source of information. Many Nigerian news platforms break news on their Twitter accounts. The government often uses Twitter to pass information across the country. Without Twitter, the government is more or less out of touch with its people.

5. Informal education

Twitter is a good way to learn things you would otherwise not know. For example, many UX designers say they found UX design on Twitter alongside a community.

Got my first writing job from Twitter. Got my first UI/UX gig from Twitter. I’ve made amazing friends on Twitter. This is what these people want to take from us.
— asabi (@uxtobiaf) June 5, 2021

Other times, it’s practical things like how to use a VPN.

6. Fundraising/ sourcing for help

As the economy worsens, more and more Nigerians use Twitter to crowd raise funds for health purposes, academic purposes and sometimes even day to day survival. Many times, Twitter users have contributed enough money to see a family through distress. With a ban, such opportunities would be deprived of people who have no other alternatives.

Mariam Sule

June 5, 2021

Citizen

Twitter, Twitter Ban
by Timinepre Cole

On Friday, June 4 2021, the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture announced the suspension of Twitter operations in Nigeria indefinitely.

PRESS RELEASE

FG Suspends @Twitter Operations in Nigeria pic.twitter.com/7z5BQ0Mi3U
— Fed Min of Info & Nat’l Orien (@FMINONigeria) June 4, 2021

There are concerns that the ban is an attempt to restrict freedom of speech and expression because this is not the first time the government has done this. Here are seven other times since Nigeria’s independence in 1960 where the government has made a mockery of free speech.

1. 1967 — Imprisonment

In 1967, Nigerian author Wole Soyinka was arrested and imprisoned for twenty-eight months for commenting about the state of the country shortly before the Biafran genocide.

2. 1984 — Decree Number 4

In 1984, Muhammad Buhari who was head of state at the time passed Decree Number 4, The Protection Against False Accusations Decree which criminalised publishing any statement or rumour that brought the government or any public officer to ridicule.

3. 1986 — Assassination

In October 1986, Nigerian Journalist and editor-in-chief of the defunct Newswatch, Dele Giwa was assassinated by a letter bomb for exposing corrupt and illegal practices of the Nigerian government.

4. 2016 — Cyber Security Law

In September 2016, several investigative journalists and bloggers were arrested, detained and charged under Nigeria’s Cyber Security Law with some of them being accused of criminal defamation.

5. 2019 — Communications License Suspension

In June 2019, the National Broadcasting Commission suspended the license of Daar Communication Plc, a media and entertainment company owned by Raymond Dokpesi, a principal member of the opposition party, PDP. The company was accused of airing inciting broadcasts and media propaganda against the government. In the same month, State Security Services announced a crackdown on social media users for allegedly posting inciting materials threatening the stability of the country on the internet.

6. 2019 — Anti-Social Media Bill

In November 2019 the Nigerian senate proposed the Social Media Bill to restrict the use of social media in transmitting information. Though the bill has not been passed into law, it is another attempt to stifle free speech.

7. 2020 — #ENDSARS Protests

In October 2020, after thousands of Nigerian youths protested online and offline, calling for an end to police harassment and brutality, the Central Bank of Nigeria froze the accounts of individuals publicly linked to the #EndSARS protest. Travel documents of some of the protesters were seized and some were arrested and charged for criminal incitement.

Contributor

June 5, 2021

Citizen

nigerian government, Twitter, Twitter Ban
How to use VPN now that the Nigerian government has banned Twitter.

On the 4th of June, 2021, the Nigerian government via a Twitter post announced that it would be banning Twitter. The news came almost 48 hours after Twitter deleted a tweet by the Nigerian president, President Muhammadu Buhari where he threatened Nigerians. Twitter deleted the post on Wednesday, saying it was abusive.

Here’s what the deleted tweet said:

“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.”

You can find the full thread here.

In the Twitter ban announcement, the Federal Ministry of Information and Communication cited the persistent use of Twitter for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence as the reason for the ban.

PRESS RELEASE

FG Suspends @Twitter Operations in Nigeria pic.twitter.com/7z5BQ0Mi3U
— Fed Min of Info & Nat’l Orien (@FMINONigeria) June 4, 2021

Since the ban took effect, several Nigerian Twitter users have tried to process the news in different ways. One of which ways is using VPN to stay online in order to air grievances, discuss the illegality of the ban and how to move forward.

How to use VPN

A virtual private network gives you online privacy and anonymity by creating a private network from a public internet connection. With the use of VPN, Twitter users can bypass the ban placed by the Nigerian government.

Decide on the VPN you want to use.

There are a bunch of VPN applications on the internet. Consider their price, speed, accessibility, ease of use, etc. After doing this, download the app and connect to one of several locations available.

Other things to note:

If you’re a creative who uses Fiverr for freelance work, please keep this in mind.

For the freelancers in Nigeria, always turn off your VPN before you login to your Fiverr account.

Fiverr will suspend your account if you login with your VPN turned on, retweet for others.
— Mr Star 🇳🇬 (@sodiqstar16) June 5, 2021

https://twitter.com/gabyjamie/status/1401080060258439174?s=20

Twitter users who also use Binance, a platform for trading various cryptocurrencies have also been advised to not use USA as their VPN location so as to block their Binance account.

Binance users, please don't use United States of America as your VPN location. Your account go block ooooo
— Big Wolf 🐺 (@SheunAdeola) June 4, 2021

VPN uses a lot of battery, so if you can, only use VPN when you’re about to use Twitter.

https://twitter.com/Placeholder30/status/1401057574376689669?s=20

You can check this list for some recommended applications along with their benefits.

As federal government has announced they are suspending Twitter in Nigeria,

Here's a thread of some VPNs I have used or still using both paid and free.

1. Betternet: this doesn't need any special configuration, just search on app store install and skip registration, connect!
— Emmanuel Olorunshola (@iamimanuel) June 4, 2021

For more information on how to stay online, you can read this article. Please spread the word.

Ope

June 5, 2021

Citizen

Buhair, Twitter Ban, VPN