The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, held a meeting with the representatives of social media giants on Thursday.
According to a short message released by the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, the meeting was held in the Communications and Digital Economy Complex, Abuja.
Although the details of the meeting have not been made public, those present in the meeting are representatives of Facebook (Meta), Twitter, TikTok and Google.
Gadgets Africa recalls that the Nigerian Government banned Twitter for seven months from June 5, 2021, after the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari(retd.), two days after it deleted a tweet by the President. Telecommunication companies had blocked access to Twitter after receiving a directive from the Nigerian Communications Commission to that effect.
The Federal Government also accused Twitter of double standards and amplifying the voice of secessionists in the country. In a statement at the time, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, cited “the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.”
Since June, the Federal Government and Twitter representatives have been negotiating over several vital issues, including Twitter’s registration with the Corporate Affairs Commission and the opening of a physical office in Nigeria.
Two months earlier, on April 12, 2021, Twitter announced that it was opening its first African office in Ghana. The Company said its decision is based on Ghana’s AfCFTA negotiations, internet access, and online and offline free speech policy.
However, the ban was lifted on January 13, 2022, after Twitter reached out to the government to resolve the impasse.
See photos from the meeting below:
