Communication Rights on Hold? An Examination of the Seven-Month Ban on Twitter (X) in Nigeria

Abstract

This article examines the seven-month ban of Twitter (now known as X) imposed by the Nigerian government in June 2021. Conceptualising the microblogging platform as a digital public sphere useful for national, regional and local conversations in Nigeria, the article discusses, among other things, how Twitter (X) was used by Nigerian youth in mobilising resistance to police brutality and misconduct in Nigeria in the year preceding the ban. Drawing on this to emphasise the broader significance of the social media platform in enabling citizens to exercise their communication rights, the article highlights the implications of the ban for communication rights, political participation, and democratic citizenship.