Twitter Suspension in Nigeria: US Condemns Move, Calls for Decision Reversal

 The United States condemned the Nigerian government for suspending Twitter and targeting individuals who use the social media site, including Nigerian broadcasters, and called for the African nation to reverse its decision. "We urge the government of Nigeria to reverse the Twitter decision and lift the block of the country's social media platforms to allow the Nigerian people to freely access information and communicate," State Department spokesman Mark Toner said in a statement on Friday. Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari ordered last week for social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook to be shut down "in the interest of the common good". The move prompted an outcry from both individuals and businesses, many of which have been targeted. "This is in contravention of the fundamental rights to freedom of expression and opinion of Nigerians and Africans generally,” Toner said. "I think Nigerians and the broader world are aware of the way that Twitter and Facebook operate. You just have to look at the way that they have been used in the recent past to influence and manipulate the outcome of elections in a number of countries. That’s part of the reason why the government wants to control their use."

In response to criticism that their decision unfairly targeted broadcasters, the Nigerian government said it had sought to block social media sites because of "disturbing statements by politicians and extremist propaganda by radicalised elements on the platforms". "We want to ensure that government and political messages are not blocked," spokesman Datti Raji told Reuters. He said government had not been "sitting on its hands and not doing anything" but "acting in accordance with constitutional provisions to ensure that the Nigerian populace has the chance to access and share information". Twitter says its decision not to allow "content that was produced, sponsored, or communicated by, or in coordination with, a named official or specific party" to appear on its service was based on a desire to protect the democratic process. "Our priority is making sure people have a voice in addressing the political, social and economic issues that affect their lives," the company said in a blog post. "If we are successful at this, we're providing a voice to every Nigerian, and that's good for society." 

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'The biggest threat' While the Nigerian authorities have been successful in blocking access to Twitter, they could not stop it completely, according to the company's head of public policy for Africa, Bisi Erasegha. She told the BBC that the firm was in touch with several internet service providers in the country but they did not want to take the blocks down because they felt they were part of the constitution. "Ultimately they want to be the internet backbone in Nigeria and they want to operate on an internet that is open and accessible to everyone," Ms Erasegha said. "We have had many conversations with the NNPC and they are trying to persuade the [telecoms companies] to do what they are doing and take the blocks down," she said. "I don't think the NNPC is taking this lightly," she added. "This is the biggest threat to Nigeria, and they've been trying to persuade the telecoms to do something about it for the last couple of years." In addition to blocking access to Twitter, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) also blocked access to the file-sharing website, The Pirate Bay. "We have written to the internet service providers in Nigeria to explain that it is important to the people in that country that social media is made accessible," Ms Erasegha said.

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"What we want is an internet that is open for business in Nigeria, and everyone has access to information and content, but we need to protect our citizens from abuse. "If you're a Nigerian citizen, and you want to voice your opinion, you have access to a number of channels to do that." The NCC did not respond to requests for comment.