Nigeria’s Twitterati Tickle Ribs In Humorous Search For The Nigerian Twitter Office
The Oasis Reporters
February 14, 2022
Greg Abolo
Twitter.com/@gregabolo
One of the costly disasters the Nigerian federal government courted was in the ban on the micro blogging site, Twitter.
They only succeeded in making the ban effective within the country by arm twisting internet service providers to block Twitter feeds into Nigeria through their Networks.
They seemed to have succeeded until powerful Nigerian politicians including some governors added their voices in urging the federal government to reverse itself due to the importance of the site to businesses in the country.
An angry federal government still smarting from the pull out of President Buhari’s tweet egged them on to remain recalcitrant in the unpopular ban.
When frustrated governors like youthful Seyi Makinde of Oyo State stayed put on Twitter, but that time, via VPN app, many other savvy Nigerians went back in droves, gambling on the fact that the Buhari government would be unable to carry out it’s threat of jailing offenders.
The people who did not stroll back to Twitter were those who probably had small capacity phones and could therefore not afford to install the VPN app.
I still haven't located Twitter office in Abuja, probably it's in Lagos
— Uneku "Clark Kent" 20/10/20 (@UnekuE) February 13, 2022
Many, though, simply feared the opening of jail houses to accommodate dissenters, remembering who the president was when he was a military dictator.
But this is a democracy.
Pleas continued upon pleas but Nigerians knew that at some point, the regime would be forced to buckle by sheer political circumstances. And they also knew that the time and goodwill advantage would be lost.
Meanwhile, Twitter continued to ignore the biggest African economy by citing offices in smaller nations like Ghana.
With the looming 2023 election season approaching and the threat of the Twitter ban becoming a campaign issue that may bruise the ruling party, the government hurriedly contrived an “assumed” meeting between it and Twitter Inc., many swore never happened.
The Nigerian government unilaterally slipped an unbanning of Twitter while many slept. Everyone was relieved.
“Welcome back to Twitter”, many organizations from Television stations to newspaper houses, bloggers, governors etc became opening remarks on post ban inaugural posts.
It was alleged that a senior government official said that there was an agreement with Twitter Inc. that they would open a Twitter office in Nigeria and that they would pay taxes.
After coffee face saving talks !
Months after, sniggering Nigerians continue to ask, “where is the Nigerian Twitter Office?” amidst guffaws.
