The Federal Government’s conditional unbanning of Twitter, a microblogging and social networking platform have elicited mixed reactions.
On Friday, President Muhammadu Buhari lifted the four-month ban on Twitter with some conditions, as part of the country’s 50th-anniversary celebrations.
Twitter must pay attention to national security and cohesion, as well as registration, physical presence, and representation in Nigeria, fair taxation, dispute resolution, and local content, according to him.
In response to the news, the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, a First Class traditional ruler in Osun State, described the unbanning of Twitter as a welcome development.
President Buhari, he believes, should be commended for taking steps to regulate Twitter’s activities in Nigeria.
“The government is attempting to put right what has been broken for a long time. This is an excellent example. That is something I applaud him for.
“I believe Twitter is ready to do business, which is why President Muhammadu Buhari is lifting the ban, which is a positive development. We want Twitter to be on, but as a business, they have to pay what they have to pay. All social media platforms that make money in Nigeria should pay their users, according to the monarch.
Engr Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), praised the development but expressed regret for the losses incurred. He praised the government for its boldness in taking this step.
“This is a positive development, and I hope that everyone involved has learned their lessons. First, Twitter, the platform’s owner, has learned that Nigeria is not a place where anything can happen or go wrong. What others may not be able to do, the government has demonstrated a level of boldness that few Western governments have been able to achieve. The first point is this.
“The second point is that the users of Twitter are the victims of all of this; the reason for this is that when the government suspended Twitter, the economy suffered significant losses. Some businesses have suffered losses, and the ban has had a significant impact on the resources of some small businesses that the government was attempting to promote. As a result, the economy has suffered a loss.
“As a result, while the government showed boldness in doing what they did, it came at a cost to the government and the economy. It also sends the wrong message to the hi-tech community, particularly other platforms that provide similar services to Twitter, that if this can happen to Twitter, it can happen to them as well. As a result, it may have an impact on foreign investors’ confidence. Certainly, but whatever we look at,” he stated.
Olusola Teniola, immediate past president of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Companies of Nigeria (ATCON), said it is still not Uhuru because the lifting of the ban is still subject to the Federal Government’s conditions.
While Teniola acknowledged that hearing from the President on the lingering issue, which has lasted for four months, he added: “From the looks of things, the government has not exactly lifted the ban.” The lifting of the ban is subject to certain conditions. The real issue is that the government wants to control social media. But it overlooks the fact that the digital world is a global platform that cannot be controlled,” he said.
“Methinks the focus on one social media platform is unhealthy and may set a bad precedent for the fate of others, which may not help the country’s desire to achieve a digital economy,” he said, expounding. We expect citizens to be able to connect with their loved ones, businesses, and fellow Nigerians through the platform’s free adoption and use. So, if we continue to believe that certain social media platforms can be banned at the government’s whims and caprices, it may be difficult for us as a country to ensure that Nigerians can generate the much-anticipated FDI from the digital space. The digital future necessitates some degree of liberty.”
Teniola said it was within Twitter’s rights to accept or do otherwise when asked what to expect from the company.
Babajide Fadoju, the former Head of Digicomms in Oyo State, expressed his delight that Twitter and the Federal Government had reached an amicable agreement.
“It’s wonderful because Twitter has evolved into one of the country’s primary platforms for exchange, allowing young and old to freely interact – it’s become a staunch supporter of our right to free speech. As a result, the fact that the ban has finally been lifted is a welcome development.”
Teniola is supported by Gbenga Susan of the Paradigm Initiative, a digital rights advocacy group. “Just to be clear, @MBuhari did not lift the #TwitterBan,” he wrote on Twitter. What you heard in his speech was the government’s attempt to downplay their illegal action, lay the groundwork for how to get out of the hole they dug, and make it sound like it’s up to Twitter.
“I believe Twitter has a business strategy, and I encourage them to recognize that, while Cloud Nations are becoming more powerful, even when compared to nation-states, this comes with a lot more responsibility. They must ensure that harmful content is discouraged, that the process of making platforms safe is transparent, and that human dignity (rights) is not sacrificed in the name of appearing compliant.
“The rule of engagement should be extended to nation-states and cloud nations to include the third sector because civil society is closer to citizens and can assist in maintaining a balance between respect for rights and achieving the goal of effective content moderation,” says the author.
Mr. Taiwo Akande, a digital media expert, believes Nigerians will be the biggest losers if Twitter fails to gain traction.
If Twitter refuses to comply with the demands, he claims that Nigerians will have no other choice.
“Twitter has its own set of rules that anyone who wants to use their services must follow. Twitter did not force the government to use its services, and the social media platform cannot be expected to treat the government differently. They (Twitter) established their own rules, and the Federal Government voluntarily joined. However, given the government’s requirements, I believe Twitter will refuse to comply. But, until then, we’ll have to wait and see.”
Mr. Lekan Jackson Ojo, a security expert, was unimpressed by the development, describing the Federal Government’s decision on Twitter as “an academic statement,” adding that unbanning Twitter at this time is unimportant to Nigerians.
“Lifting the ban on Twitter is just an academic statement because they didn’t have enough support to really enforce their ban because nearly 80% of Nigerians were still using Twitter at the time.
“Twitter was used by the majority of celebrities, religious leaders, and politicians.
“You can stifle Twitter and allow the economy to flourish. You can disable Twitter and thus reduce the high level of insecurity. You can devalue the naira by banning Twitter.
“Banning and unbanning Twitter is no longer an issue for me. Many Nigerians are unconcerned about it.
Nigerians used to live before Twitter. Who can survive without food? Who can run a business without a good security system? It’s completely illogical. It’s pointless to unban Twitter.
“I believe the president and his handlers were stumped for words, which is why they said they had lifted the Twitter ban. Nigerians have no idea what it means.
Mr. Tayo Douglas, a lawyer, and human rights activist, also reacted, saying the Twitter ban was unnecessary in the first place.
According to him, the ban did not benefit Nigeria; rather, it had harmed the businesses of many Nigerian youths who relied on Twitter.
I wish President Buhari was aware of the number of businesses that have been destroyed as a result of the Twitter ban over the last few months.
“You can imagine what the majority of the country’s unemployed youths relied on Twitter to ventilate or conduct their businesses, and you can imagine what they’ve lost. It’s a shame the ban was ever imposed in the first place. What benefit has the president of the country reaped from the Twitter ban?
“Nothing and nothing,” Douglas stated emphatically.
Fidelis Duker, a filmmaker and the founder of the Abuja Film International Film Festival, called the ban a total embarrassment to all Nigerians.
He expressed disappointment with the lifting of the ban.
According to him, there was no basis for the ban in the first place, and even after the ban, the majority of active users were able to find other ways to use the platform, confirming the government’s failure, in my opinion.
“However, we must keep in mind that the lifting of the ban is conditional, which is consistent with the government’s position over the last four months. As a result, there’s nothing to get excited about because the fallout, coupled with the parties’ ego-tripping in response to the lifting of the ban, shows ego-tripping.
“In my opinion, the government should simply allow telecom companies to open the platform for legitimate users to conduct legitimate business and engage in legitimate engagements.
Another lawyer, Santoma Joel Ibeneche, claimed that the suspension of Twitter was strategic and aimed at assuaging many Nigerians’ fears and concerns about the economy, security, and the currency’s weakness.
While praising the president for lifting the ban on Twitter, Abraham Great of Straight Record Limited advised that internet security should not be Twitter’s responsibility and that Twitter should have a physical presence in Nigeria.
” Only if social media companies have a physical presence in our country could they be taxed. The revenue should primarily be used for research.
