HIGHLIGHTS

The shutdown of Twitter in Nigeria sparked outrage.

Twitter decided to nominate a representative for each nation.

Twitter has also pledged to follow through on its tax responsibilities.

WHY IN NEWS

Nigeria's government has removed its Twitter ban, seven months after the country's more than 200 million citizens were barred from using the social media platform . According to the director-general of the country's National Information Technology Development Agency, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari has mandated that Twitter operations restart in the country on Thursday. Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi stated that this was only after Twitter agreed to certain criteria, including the establishment of a Nigerian office . On June 4, Nigeria halted Twitter's operations, alleging 'the repeated exploitation of the platform for actions that threaten Nigeria's business survival.' The move drew criticism since it occurred after Buhari's post on Facebook was removed, in which he threatened to kill people.

'Our decision is a conscious attempt to re-calibrate our relationship with Twitter in order to maximise mutual advantages for our country while not jeopardising the company's legitimate interests.' In a statement, Abdullahi stated, 'Our interaction has been quite courteous, pleasant, and successful.' A Twitter spokeswoman did not reply to a request for comment right away. Twitter has committed to hire a designated country representative, comply with tax requirements, and behave 'with a respectful awareness of Nigerian laws and the national culture and history on which such legislation has been constructed,' .

LOSS FACED DURING BAN 

The indefinite suspension of the social media site has left a slew of small and medium-sized enterprises in Africa's most populous country - and largest economy - reeling. Nigeria announced the ban on June 4, only days after a post from President Muhammadu Buhari was deleted off the network, threatening to punish regional separatists. Since then, most telecoms sites have disabled access. According to NOI Polls, 39.6 million Nigerians use Twitter, with 20% of them advertising their businesses and 18% looking for work. Experts worry that its lack of immediate availability - it can only be accessed through Virtual Private Networks that hide its location - might have ramifications for the economy. 'The restriction has a lot of unintended consequences,' remarked one expert. Muda According to Yusuf, a 'significant percentage of folks' utilise Twitter to make a living.

REVENUE LOSS

Nigerians are losing 'billions of naira on a daily basis,' according to the minority caucus in Parliament. According to Dumebi Iyeke, a research analyst with the Financial Derivatives Company, it would disproportionately affect young Nigerians, who have a 45 percent jobless rate.  'We're looking at a potential income loss,' Iyeke said, adding that the situation might worsen living conditions in the face of excessive inflation. According to Information Minister Lai Mohammed, all social media sites must register as a local corporation and obtain a licence to function. He highlighted lost money complaints as proof that the restriction was effective, but he added that alternative sites are still available.