Nigeria’s Information Minister Says Twitter Approach to Dialogue is Tepid
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohamed says Twitter is showing little enthusiasm toward the dialogue it initiated to resolve issues leading to the suspension of its operations. The minister said this on Friday when he featured on Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) programme “Good Morning Nigeria’’.
Information Minister also reiterates the Federal Government position on registration of social media and microblogging network services that wish to operate in Nigeria in line with the global trend.
“I think there is a tepid approach by Twitter. I say tepid because, on Wednesday, I got a call from one of the foreign missions that Twitter is ready to have a serious discussion with high-level members of government on this issue. But since then, mum has been the word and that is why I said ‘tepid’. As of today, I do not see Twitter as being sincere in its approach to resolving the issue,’’ he said.
The minister reiterated the position that the operation of Twitter was suspended indefinitely because the platform was being used to promote the views of those who want the country to be divided. He said the action taken by the government was neither because Twitter deleted President Muhammadu Buhari’s message nor it chose Ghana above Nigeria as a preferred location for its regional headquarters.
“Whether they are in Ghana or in Nigeria or anywhere else, if they allow their platform to be used to destabilise Nigeria, we will do the same. Of what importance the investment will be to us if they destroy our country,’’ he said.
For the many youths who said their livelihood depended on Twitter, the minister said, there must be a country for them to earn a living. He said if twitter was allowed to plunge the country into war with its activities, every Nigerian, including the youth would pay dearly for it.
Mohammed urged the youth to take advantage of other social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and Google to explore their business ventures. Last week, the Federal Government suspended indefinitely, the operations of the microblogging and social networking service, Twitter in Nigeria.
Nigeria claims that it suspended Twitter due to persistent use of the platform for activities capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence. Due to the development, Nigeria says all social media platform that wishes to operate in Nigeria must be properly registered. The government had planned to regulate social media.
Federal Government had also directed the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to immediately commence the process of licensing all OTT and social media operations in the country.
The government says its directive that Over the Top (OTT) and social media platforms operating in the country must register and obtain licenses to operate is in conformity with the global trend, as reiterated by the Information Minister today.
Muhammed said social media giants must also apply for licensing with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC). The minister said if the platforms were registered and issued with licenses, their operations would be regulated within the terms of their registrations. He said it was unfortunate that most of the OTT and social media had no offices in Nigeria where they operated and made billions of dollars without paying any tax.
He added that the advent of social media platforms took the world by storm that many countries did not know whether they were operating as commercial communication or information tools. Noting that many countries had now woken up to the reality and had commenced regulating the platforms and Nigeria would not be an exception.
“Singapore regulates 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.
“The EU says that social media platforms that publish content that are harmful to the security of a nation or make such impressionable move, such content should be removed,’’ he said.
To further justify his position, the minister said that UK on Wednesday planned a new law which would make social media companies be fined up to10 per cent of their turnover or 18 million pounds (about N10.8 billion) if they failed to stamp out online abuses.
He said Google was fined 220 million Euros (about N110 billion) on June 7, by French Competition Regulator for abusing its dominance in the online advertising market in France. Similarly, the minister said the Federal Cabinet of Pakistan on Wednesday approved a new set of rules to regulate social media.
In the rules, according to the minister, companies such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and even TikTok were to register and open offices in Pakistan. Mohammed said in compliance with the new online broadcasting rule of Turkey, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video had obtained licenses with the country’s broadcasting authority.
The minister said with all the development, the condemnations by some foreign missions on the action taken by the Federal Government against twitter as well as its decision to regulate the social media was unfair.
“We must make the distinction between those countries that are trying to protect their economic and commercial interest from those who are genuinely talking about freedom of speech. We should also realise that it is because we have a country called Nigeria that we are discussing freedom of speech.
“Unfortunately, our own people are the ones giving vent and protecting twitter more than Twitter itself under the guise of freedom of expression. I believe that Nigeria still ranks among the countries with the freest media in the world today.
“Facebook, Google hang out, WhatsApp, Instagram are still operating in Nigeria. Why the heavens will fall because we are suspending twitter because it is promoting insurgency,’’ he said. The minister reiterated that there was nowhere in the world where activities of Twitter was proven to be supporting separatist that it would not be suspended.
Nigeria’s Information Minister Says Twitter Approach to Dialogue is Tepid
