Category: Information Technology - Page 3

Lai Mohammed Denies Meeting Twitter Executives In The US

19Aug

By Chinedu IbeakanmaNo Comments

Lai Mohammed Denies Meeting Twitter Executives In The US

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, says the online media report that he “sneaked out of Nigeria to meet with Twitter executive’’ in the U.S. is fake. In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Washington on Wednesday, the minister said his official visit to the U.S. has nothing to do with the microblogging and social networking platform. Mohammed said he was in the U.S. to meet with international media organisations and think tanks on the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration and efforts made so far in tackling insurgency, banditry and all forms of criminality. He said the online report was an example of the danger fake news and unregulated social media portend for the country. “Can a minister sneak out of Nigeria w...

JUST IN: FG Extends NIN-SIM Verification Deadline Again

25Jul

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Communication, Information Technology, News, Nigeria

JUST IN: FG Extends NIN-SIM Verification Deadline Again

The Federal Government has once more postponed the deadline for NIN-SIM data verification to October 31, 2021. This was contained in a joint statement by the Director, Public Affairs Nigerian Communications Commission, Ikechukwu Adinde; and the Head, Corporate Communications, Nigeria Identity Management Commission, Kayode Adegoke, titled ‘FG Extends NIN-SIM verification deadline to 31st October, 2021′. Before now, FG had approved the extension of the deadline for NIN-SIM data verification to July 26, 2021. The statement noted that the registration focus is now expected to shift to remote and hard-to-reach areas, schools and health centres. The Director, Public Affairs Nigerian Communications Commission, Ikechukwu Adinde; and the Head, Corporate Communications, Nigeria Identity ...

FG Extends NIN-SIM Linkage Exercise Deadline As Pantami Lauds Compliance

29Jun

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Communication, Information Technology, News, Nigeria

FG Extends NIN-SIM Linkage Exercise Deadline As Pantami Lauds Compliance

The Federal Government has ratified the extension of the deadline for the National Identification Number, NIN, and SIM linkage exercise to July 26. The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Patami, thanked Nigerians for their patience and compliance with the directive by FG on the NIN-SIM registration exercise. This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday, jointly signed by the Public Affairs Director, National Communications Commission, NCC, Ikechukwu Adinde and Head, Corporate Affairs, National Identity Management Commission, Kayode Adegoke. According to the statement, the federal government approved the extension as part of its efforts to make it easier for its citizens and residents to obtain the NIN. The extension affords Nigerians more time to link th...

Twitter Ban: SERAP Sues FG, Lai Mohammed Over Directive to Broadcasters

20Jun

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Communication, Information Technology, Judiciary, News, Nigeria

Twitter Ban: SERAP Sues FG, Lai Mohammed Over Directive to Broadcasters

Following a directive to all TV and radio stations not to use Twitter, and to delete their accounts, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SERAP, has filed a lawsuit soliciting for an order from the Federal High Court Abuja to stop the Federal Government and the Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Muhammed from using “patently unlawful directive” as a pretext to harass, intimidate, suspend or impose criminal punishment on journalists and broadcast stations simply for using social media platforms. The development comes after a directive by the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, asking TV and radio stations to “suspend the patronage of Twitter immediately” after the microblogging platform was indefinitely suspended in the country for deleting tweets of Presiden...

Adamu Garba Decries Instagram’s Suspension of his Account

16Jun

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Communication, Information Technology, News, Nigeria

Adamu Garba Decries Instagram’s Suspension of his Account

Former presidential candidate and owner of malfunctional Cowwe app, Adamu Garba has decried the suspension of his Instagram account on Wednesday. The CEO of IPI solutions disclosed this on Wednesday morning on his Facebook handle. Garba posted, “They’ve taken down my Instagram account too. This could happen to anyone for voicing out contrary opinions. More reasons why we should work excellently on Crowwe.” Reports say Garba's Instagram account was suspended for violation of an Instagram policy. The development comes shortly after his novel Crowwe app was flagged down by Google Play Store for copyright violation and poor ratings by Nigerians. He still insists Nigerians should dump all foreign social media platforms for his Crowwe app. Source: SaharaReporters

Donald Trump Commends Nigeria’s Twitter Ban, Encourages Other Countries to Emulate Same

9Jun

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Communication, Information Technology, News, Nigeria

Donald Trump Commends Nigeria’s Twitter Ban, Encourages Other Countries to Emulate Same

Erstwhile President of the United States of America, Donald Trump has lauded Nigeria for banning Twitter, urging more countries to do the same. The Federal Government of Nigeria on Friday last week announced the Twitter ban after the app took down a controversial tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari, in which he referenced the Nigerian Civil War. Many Nigerians queried the rationale behind the post. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Trump lauded Nigeria for the ban. His statement read, “Congratulations to Nigeria for banning Twitter.” Trump said, “More COUNTRIES should ban Twitter and Facebook for not allowing free and open speech.” Trump added, “In the meantime, competitors will emerge and take hold. Who are they to dictate good and evil if they themselves are evil?” “Perhap...

El-Rufai Boasts of Nigeria’s Twitter Ban in a Tweet

7Jun

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Communication, Information Technology, News, Nigeria

El-Rufai Boasts of Nigeria’s Twitter Ban in a Tweet

Governor Nasir El-Rufai of Kaduna State has praised the country’s suspension of access to Twitter in a tweet posted on Sunday. The governor said that Nigeria has taught the United States lesson in how to deal with big tech tyranny. His tweet was in defilement of an order by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, to prosecute any Nigerian caught using Twitter after its suspension. Malami in a statement gave orders to the director of public prosecution of the federation to “swing into action and commence in earnest the process of prosecution of violators of the Federal Government de-activation of operations of twitter in Nigeria.” The governor in his tweet at 9:37 pm, violated the suspension of Twitter by the Nigerian government. He tw...

6Jun

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Communication, Information Technology, News, Nigeria

Why FG Suspended Twitter – Presidency

The Presidency has explained that the decision to ban Twitter access in Nigeria temporarily was not just informed by the recent deletion of President Muhammadu Buhari’s tweet by the microblogging platform. Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed announced the suspension of Twitter on Friday in a statement issued by his media aide, Segun Adeyemi. Telecommunication companies in Nigeria on Saturday confirm receipt of an order restricting subscriber’s access to Twitter. Justifying the decision, a presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, in a statement on Saturday said the decision was not based on just the removal of Buhari’s tweet. Shehu said the decision was a culmination of a myriad of problems with Twitter where he alleged misinformation and fake news spread through it ha...

MTN, Airtel, Glo, Others Implement FG’s Twitter Ban Order

5Jun

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Communication, Information Technology, News, Nigeria

MTN, Airtel, Glo, Others Implement FG’s Twitter Ban Order

Telecommunication companies in Nigeria among whom are MTN, Airtel, Glo and 9Mobile have commenced blocking user’s access to Twitter, African News Today has gathered. The telcos acknowledged receipt of a directive from the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, to block access to Twitter in Nigeria following the suspension imposed on the microblogging platform by the Federal Government on Friday. Twitter users in Nigeria on Saturday reported difficulty in accessing their Twitter accounts while some successfully accessed theirs using Virtual Private Networks, VPN. In a statement released on Saturday, titled, ‘Order to Suspend access to Twitter’ mobile network operators in the country under the auspices of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, however...

Twitter Ban: Buhari Govt Has Very Thin Skin for Criticism – Ozekhome

5Jun

By Obiajulu Joel NwoluNo Comments

Communication, Information Technology, News, Nigeria

Twitter Ban: Buhari Govt Has Very Thin Skin for Criticism – Ozekhome

Human rights lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, has said he was not shocked by the decision of the Federal Government to suspend access to Twitter, saying the President Muhammadu Buhari administration has a penchant for not tolerating punches, but delights in always giving punches to adversaries, real or imaginary. The senior advocate also dared FG to go a step further and “dissolve the Nigerian people which it has become so allergic to and no longer wants to see or hear about”. He disclosed this in a statement issued on Friday titled, ‘When A Tottering Government Twiddles Twitter’. Ezekhome also accused the government of trying to shield its atrocities from global exposure with its decision to indefinitely ban the operations of Twitter in the country. Recall that the Minister of Info...