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Nigerian Minister Says Twitter Ban Will Be Lifted Soon

Nigeria's Information Minister Lai Mohammed has said that the government will soon lift its ban on Twitter after resolving some of its differences with the social media platform. This signals the end to a policy widely condemned as an attack on freedom of expression. "The ban on Twitter will soon be lifted as we are getting close to reaching full agreement. We have agreed on some areas. Hopefully in the next few days or weeks, we will conclude." Mohammed told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

The government suspended Twitter on June 4, 2021 after it removed a post from President Muhammadu Buhari that threatened to punish regional secessionists. Nigerian officials have denied that the ban was in retaliation for deleting the president's tweet.

The decision drew widespread criticism from Nigerians, many of whom pointed out that ironically, the government announced the ban on its Twitter page. Nigeria's attorney- general initially said those who breached the Twitter ban should be prosecuted, but that was not enforced. A West African court ruled on June 22, 2021 that the Nigerian authorities could not prosecute people for using the service while it considered a suit seeking to overturn the ban.

U.S. Mission Nigeria/Twitter

Nigerian Minister of Information and Culture Lai Mohammed met with U.S. Acting Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Matthew Lussenhop and colleagues to discuss potential bilateral cultural heritage property collaboration and ongoing education and exchange programs.

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