The federal government says that all social media platforms operating in Nigeria must be registered as a business entity including Twitter before the ban placed on the microblogging site can be lifted.

Information and Culture minister Lai Mohammed said this while addressing after the federal council meeting which was held at the presidential villa in Abuja on Wednesday.

He said that Nigerians can make use of other popular social media platforms, adding that the freedom of speech of the people has not been stifled by the ban placed on Twitter.

Mr Mohammed explained that what the federal government had done was effective and that Twitter had lost money.

The minister mentioned that the suspension was necessary because the micro-blogging site provided a platform for those that are threatening the corporate existence of Nigeria.

He accused the owner of Twitter, Jack Dorsey, of donating funds to the #EndSARS protesters. 

Also, the minister alleged that the microblogging site allowed the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to use their platform to call for the killings of policemen.

He claimed Twitter refused to take down Mr Kanu’s tweets despite repeated requests to do so

On June 4, Mr Mohammed announced the indefinite ban placed on Twitter across the country.

The minister said that the social media platform is being used for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.

The ban on the activities of Twitter across the country was placed after the microblogging site deleted President Buhari’s tweet for violating its rules. 

Nigerians and media organisations have been threatened by the federal government to delete their Twitter accounts or they will be faced with sanctions.