Twitter ban was a hard call, says Lai Mohammed

Former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has described the suspension of Twitter in Nigeria as one of the most difficult decisions he made during his time in office.

The Federal Government had, in June 2021, announced an “indefinite” suspension of the microblogging platform—now known as X—accusing it of being used in ways capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.

Mohammed revisited the controversial decision in his newly launched book, Headlines & Soundbites: Media Moments That Defined An Administration, unveiled in Abuja on Wednesday. In the book, he provides behind-the-scenes insights into the circumstances that led to the government’s action against the platform.

In Chapter 14 of the 601-page publication, the former minister explained that the decision to shut down Twitter was particularly challenging for him, outlining two key reasons why the move weighed heavily on his conscience at the time.