FG Set To Lift Ban On Twitter

THE ban on Twitter in Nigeria will soon be lifted, the Federal Government said on Wednesday.

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, gave the hint while briefing state house correspondents at the end of a virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

The FEC meeting was presided over by the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo.

While giving an update on the Twitter ban in Nigeria and the interface with the company on the prompting of journalists, the minister said, “the end for amicable resolution is very much in sight.”

He said, “We appreciate the patience of Nigerians. I want to assure you that we have made very tremendous progress. We have met with Twitter both physically and in writing. We are actually almost there.

“The engagement has been extremely positive without any acrimony. We have made it clear what we want from Twitter.”

The minister said the Federal Government has asked Twitter to establish a legal presence in the country and register as a Nigerian company with an address.

According to him, the company is also expected to have a country representative that will serve as a liaison and must register with relevant regulatory agencies including the NCC.

“The government is also demanding that Twitter must commit itself to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) as well as proposing an Ombudsman between Twitter and Nigeria. They (Twitter) have shown a lot of flexibility, the conversation has not been acrimonious,” Mohammed said.