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Twitter must be registered in Nigeria before ban will be reversed – FG

The federal government on Wednesday, said the management of Twitter has reached out for a “high-level discussion” to resolve the issue that led to the suspension of its operations in Nigeria.

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, made the disclosure to state house correspondents after the meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday, June 9, 2021.

The meeting, which held at the presidential villa, Abuja, was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Mohammed listed conditions that must be met before even considering a reversal of Twitter ban – which includes that it must now be registered in Nigeria as a business concern, The Cable reports.

He said other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram must also be registered in the country.

The minister said freedom of speech was not stifled by the suspension of Twitter, adding that Nigerians can still use other platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

He added that Twitter’s loss of money as a result of the suspension is an indication of its effectiveness.

Mohammed said the suspension was necessary because the micro-blogging site provided a platform for those that are threatening the existence of Nigeria.

The minister alleged that Twitter allowed Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), to use its platform to call for the killing of security agents.

He revealed that the microblogging platform failed to take down Kanu’s tweets despite repeated requests to do so.

The Federal Government claimed that it has captured no fewer than 30 million Nigerians in the National Social Register that would facilitate lifting 100 million people out of poverty in the next 10 years.

Alhaji Bashir Alkali, the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development stated this at the National Social Safety Nets Project (NASSP) engagement meeting with State Permanent Secretaries on Thursday, March 18, in Abuja.

He said that under the ministry’s mandate set on NASSP supported by the World Bank to reduce poverty and Socioeconomic vulnerabilities in Nigeria.

Alkali said NASSP was designed to have structures from the federal to the states, down to the local government levels, reflecting the three tiers of government.

Currently, the NSR has 30 million Nigerians from 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory from seven million poor and vulnerable households.

“A further break down shows these households have been identified so far in 699 local government areas, 8,161 wards and 81, 776 communities across the country.

“The NSR is developed using the geographical and community-based targeting (CBT) Mechanism, using community members, anchored by the State Operation Coordinating Unit (SOCU) in each of the states.

“The National Cash Transfer Office (NCTO), has currently enrolled 1, 632,535 benefiting poor and vulnerable households in 45, 744 communities from 5, 483 Wards of 557 Local government areas in 35 states and FCT,” Alkali said.

According to him, this translates to 8,100,682 individuals in benefiting households through a representative of the household called ‘Caregiver or Alternate Caregiver’ which is paid bi-monthly (N10, 000).

He stressed that currently, 991,965 households were receiving payment in 28 states and the FCT.

He maintained that all these were to actualise the vision of President Muhammadu Buhari to pull 100 million Nigerians out of extreme poverty.

“Thus, there is need to harmonised the structures and operation of SOCU. It is very important”.

Speaking, the National Coordinator of NASSCO, Mr Apera Iorwa, said the state permanent secretaries are oversight officers of the programme in the state

“There is a need for us to meet regularly and analyses issues, modalities and chart a way forward for the programme”.

Iorwa said permanent secretaries have to be up and doing to avoid diverting the objectives of the programme in the state.

He added that states were liable to refund monies to the World Bank because accounts would be audited and if the funds are misused, they would be refunded.