Nigerian govt sets new rules for Facebook, Twitter, others

The National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has issued new regulations for Internet platforms to operate in Nigeria.

They were contained in a statement signed by NITDA spokesperson, Hadiza Umar, on Monday.

Umar explained that the new code was designed to “define guidelines for interacting on the digital ecosystem.”

The code demands that Internet platforms should “register with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) and appoint a designated country representative to interface with Nigerian authorities.”

It also stipulated that they comply with all regulatory demands and applicable tax obligations on its operations under Nigerian law.

NITDA also added that Internet platforms need to “provide a comprehensive compliance mechanism to avoid publication of prohibited contents and unethical behaviour on their platform”.

The agency noted that the new rules were “developed in collaboration with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), as well as input from Interactive Computer Service Platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, Google, Tik Tok, among others.”

The President Muhammadu Buhari administration suspended Twitter from June 2021 to January 2022.