Lifting the ban on Twitter will boost economic growth

Twitter, microblogging and a worldwide recognised social media network has given social and commercial platforms for millions of people worldwide and a formidable platform for a variety of small and medium scale enterprises (SMEs) and large organisations.

Users of Twitter can send messages (tweets) of up to 280 characters in length for free, and they can reach millions of people worldwide instantly.

It is a universal platform used by academics, students, politicians, policymakers, public servants, and administrators. It, like Facebook, has become a platform for millions of social media enthusiasts around the world.

Estimates show that approximately 40 million Nigerians, or 20% of the country’s population, have a Twitter account.

Last June, the President made a tweet in which he threatened to punish regional secessionists. Twitter removed the President’s tweet against its terms of service and suspended his account. On June 5, 2021, the government of President Muhammadu Buhari ordered the telecom firms to block Twitter’s access to Nigerian customers. He further stated that he did not impose the embargo in retaliation but rather as a chance to persuade the corporation to align with Nigeria’s national security interests.

This prohibition met several reactions almost immediately. It was criticized in a joint statement by Amnesty International, the British, Canadian, and Swedish diplomatic offices in Nigeria, and the US and the European Union. The Nigerian Bar Association and the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) have also indicated that they intend to challenge the ban in court.

While the prohibition was still effective, some Nigerians continued to tweet. They got around the process by setting up a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to access Twitter. Making the web traffic for express VPN increased by over 200 percent.

Read also: Spaces for Change applauds lifting of Twitter ban

However, during the broadcast presidential speech on Nigeria’s 61st Independence Day commemoration in October, President Buhari stated the government would only lift the ban if Twitter met specific requirements. Among these are registering as a legal corporation, paying taxes, and providing direct communication for law enforcement to report tweets that break Nigerian laws.

On Wednesday, January 13, 2022, the Nigerian government announced the lifting of the Twitter ban in the country. Twitter also wrote on its public policy account on January 13 that it was pleased with the resumption of its services in Nigeria.

As expected, this move sparked conflicting emotions and debates regarding the federal government’s true objectives. While some believe the ban was lifted in light of the upcoming 2023 general elections, when various political campaigns are expected to kick off either physically or via social media, including Twitter. Some others criticized the telecommunications company for obeying the illegal law enforced by the Federal government.

In addition to these, the economic implication of banning Twitter is that it ruined lives and destroyed small businesses as it dawdled commerce and reduced productivity. Also, Nigeria lost billions of Naira due to blocking the social network. According to NetBlocks Cost of Shutdown Tool, Nigeria lost over #540 billion since the social network site was blocked.

The use of Twitter by millions of Nigerians for their entrepreneurial enterprises will significantly lead to the environment’s sustainability and contribute to economic growth among families. These entrepreneurs engage their trade through this virtual space and directly contribute to the environment’s sustainability because they do not operate their various businesses from physical offices.

Physical offices lead to the constant use of papers and other harmful products, detrimental to the environment and cause ecological damage. The continuous use of Twitter (and other social and technological platforms) as a virtual office for trade and commerce will significantly contribute to environmental sustainability since their documents and office accessories have gone digital.

Also, innovative and creative job creation measures are paramount in tackling the problem of high unemployment coupled with high poverty and population in the country. Twitter will help so many entrepreneurs strive progressively upward the social class ladder. This is because people can easily make their product or business known on Twitter, eliminating the cost of renting physical office spaces. Thus, Twitter and other Social Media platforms should be encouraged to tackle poverty through the spirit of entrepreneurship.

Thus, lifting the Twitter ban will help reduce unemployment, reduce poverty, and promote economic growth in the country.