Twitter is back in Nigeria.
Following the Federal Government’s lifting of its restriction on the microblogging network, many Nigerians were able to access Twitter without the use of a Virtual Private Network (VPN) on Thursday.
Last June, the Nigerian government stopped Twitter, accusing the network of facilitating the spread of fake news and hate speech that jeopardized national security.
The Twitter hammer fell days after President Muhammadu Buhari’s remark about the Nigerian civil war was removed from the network.
Many people, notably the opposition party PDP, human rights groups, and the international community, have criticized the suspension.
The suspension was characterized by Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka as a “petulant action, unworthy of a democratically elected president.”
After months of talks with Twitter, the suspension has been lifted.
The Federal Government stated in a statement announcing the suspension’s removal on Wednesday that Twitter has agreed to establish a legal presence in Nigeria while enabling the government to participate in the curating process.
