Nigeria demands social media firms get local permits

Social media companies that want to operate in Nigeria will now have to register there and be licensed by the broadcasting commission. 

The country's information minister, Lai Mohammed, made the remark following the government's suspension of Twitter five days ago. 

“We are insisting that for you to operate in Nigeria you must first be a Nigerian company and be licensed by the broadcasting commission,” he said.

There has not been any new law or regulation passed to enforce the new requirements.

The social media platform had deleted a post by President Muhammadu Buhari for breaching its rules but the presidency has denied the ban was an act of retaliation.

Many privately-owned media outlets in Nigeria are disobeying an order to deactivate their Twitter accounts and accessing the site using virtual private networks.

This article originally appeared on BBC News

Photo: AFP