Twitter Ban: FG Hurting Small Businesses – Adegboruwa

Amid the current suspension of Twitter from Nigeria’s internet space, Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa has explained what the federal government’s decision is doing to the business plans and aspirations of the Nigerian youths.

THE WHISTLER reported on Monday that Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama had told diplomatic envoys that part of the reason the federal government suspended Twitter since Friday was to ensure that the platform becomes a more “responsible” social media tool.

The development followed Twitter’s deletion of President Muhammadu Buhari’s tweet said to be targeted at those destroying public institutions in the South East.

However, when Buhari recalled the Nigerian-Civil war experience in his tweet, widespread criticism trailed the president’s statement.

On their part, the governments of the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Ireland and European Union had jointly described the social media ban in the country as a “disappointment”.

On Monday, they also maintained their position on freedom of expression in the country.

For Adegboruwa, he stated that young Nigerian businesses were the ones hurting because of the said ban.

“It has also been stated that a number of young Nigerians and entrepreneurs deploy Twitter to promote their businesses and brands. The government is daily talking about promoting the ease of doing business, with the E-Commerce economy now said to be in the average of $12B.

“In a country where many sectors have been adversely affected by the global coronavirus pandemic, where the deteriorating security situation has led to the closure of many businesses and vocations, social media offers a veritable platform for the actualization of business plans, especially for the youth cadre.

“This should form a major consideration in the minds of those in authority,” he stated on Tuesday via Facebook.

Although the ban is said to be temporary, FG is yet to disclose when the suspension would be lifted.