According to the Federal Government, Twitter, a microblogging and social networking service, has formally written to seek conversation on the country’s ban on its operations.
Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Information and Culture, stated this during an appearance on Radio Nigeria’s call-in program “Politics Nationwide” in Abuja.
He said: “I can confirm that Twitter has written the Federal Government that they are ready to talk.
As we have always maintained, the door is not locked and we are open-minded but Twitter must work toward it,” he said.
Read; Twitter Ban: FG shun Adamu Garba’s app, unveil a new social media app for its activities
The minister reaffirmed the government’s position that any forum used to destabilize the country would be rejected.
Mohammed stated that among the prerequisites for Twitter to restart operations in Nigeria is an agreement on the type of content that can be posted.
He also stated that Twitter and other platforms must register as a Nigerian firm, receive a license from the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), follow the licensing procedures, and pay taxes.
Mohammed noted that the regulation of social media platforms is becoming a global practice and Nigeria must not be left behind.
He said most countries were just waking up to the fact that the platforms were becoming more powerful than even government and needed to be regulated.
The minister said that the UK initiated a new law that would make social media companies be fined up to 18 million pounds (about N10.8 billion) if they failed to stamp out online abuses.
“Singapore, Algeria, Pakistan, Turkey regulate the social media, Australia has done so.
“Even EU that does not have particular laws on social media has made recommendations in a white paper,” he said.
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