FG ‘still in talks’ with Twitter — two months after ban

Segun Adeyemi, special assistant to the president on media in the office of Lai Mohammed, minister of information and culture, says discussions between Twitter, a microblogging platform, and the federal government are ongoing.

It has been two months since the federal government banned the operations of Twitter in the country.

Adeyemi, in a text message to TheCable on Thursday after an inquiry was made on the development, said talks were still in progress.

“Discussions between the FG and Twitter are ongoing. Thanks,” he said.

In June, the federal government suspended Twitter after alleging that the microblogging site was being used to undermine the existence of Nigeria.

It said the suspension will only be lifted if the platform can be used “responsibly”.

Thereafter, the federal government set up a committee led by Mohammed to meet with the social media service.

Abubakar Malami, attorney-general of the federation; Isa Pantami, minister of communications and digital economy; Geoffery Onyeama, minister of foreign affairs, and Festus Keyamo, minister of state for labour and employment, are part of those on the panel.

“President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the composition of the Federal Government’s Team to engage with Twitter over the recent suspension of the operations of the microblogging and social networking service in Nigeria,” Mohammed had said in a statement.

“Following the indefinite suspension of its operations in Nigeria, for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence, Twitter wrote to President Buhari seeking to engage with the Federal Government over the suspension, with a view to charting a path forward.”