Nigeria loses N635.8bn from 7-month Twitter shutdown
Nigeria has lost a staggering N635.8 billion during the seven months shutdown of the microblogging platform, Twitter, in the country.
The Federal Government which shutdown Twitter in Nigeria on June 4, 2021, over the alleged use of the platform to undermine Nigeria’s corporate existence, finally lifted the suspension on Wednesday.
The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.
Abdullahi said that President Muhammadu Buhari approved the lifting of the platform’s suspension following a memo written to the President by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami.
He said: “The Federal Government of Nigeria directs me to inform the public that President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, has approved the lifting of the suspension of Twitter operation in Nigeria effective from 12:00 am tonight, 13th January 2022.
“The approval was given following a memo written to the President by the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Pantami.
“In the Memo, the Minister updated and requested the President’s approval for the lifting based on the Technical Committee Nigeria-Twitter Engagement’s recommendation.”
However, the losses recorded by Nigeria during the seven months shutdown of Twitter operations was one of the worst in the world in recent years.
Banks, businesses, entrepreneurs, vendors, content creators, marketers and startups that use social media for customer service and dispute resolution, were among the worst-hit during the 222 days Twitter shutdown in the country.
The prolonged Twitter shutdown made Nigeria the second-worst hit economy from internet shutdown, second only to Myanmar when it comes to losses suffered by countries from an internet shutdown.
Estimates using Netblock data noted that Myanmar which is currently under a military rule lost $2.8 billion in 2021, followed by Nigeria’s $1.5 billion.
India is third with $582.8 million, Ethiopia ($164.5m), and Sudan ($157.4m).
Uganda, which disrupted internet access in January during its controversial presidential election, was sixth with $109.7 million, followed by Bangladesh in seventh position with $49.7 million.
Burkina Faso ($35.9m), Cuba ($33.1m), and Syria ($28.7m) completed the list of the top 10 countries with the worst losses from internet shutdown.
