Published 7th Jun, 2021

By Socrates Mbamalu

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Nigeria’s broadcast regulator, has issued a statement in support of the government’s order to ban the use of Twitter. NBC directed all broadcasting stations in the country to suspend their use of Twitter.

The statement was signed by Prof Armstrong Idachaba, the Director General of NBC, and read in part: “Broadcasting stations are hereby advised to de-install Twitter handles and desist from using Twitter as a source of information gathering for News and Programmes Presentation, especially Phone-in.”

On June 4, the government issued a statement suspending the use of Twitter in the country. The move by the government was in response to Twitter deleting a tweet by Maj Gen. Buhari calling for violence against the Igbo by citing the Civil War as an example of what could happen.

The suspension of Twitter was seen as one of the moves by the government to stifle free speech and censor information. The government has continually cited the undermining of “the corporate existence of Nigeria” as an excuse to regulate social media and the internet.

“Note that it will be unpatriotic for any broadcaster in Nigeria to continue to patronise the suspended Twitter as a source of its information, therefore strict compliance is enjoined,” NBC said.

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