The Federal Government has shut down over 13.5 million social media accounts across multiple platforms, including TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, and X (formerly Twitter). The action followed findings from the 2024 Code of Practice Compliance Report, which highlighted widespread violations of community standards and Nigeria’s digital safety regulations.
According to the report submitted by major interactive computer service providers such as Google, Microsoft, and TikTok, the Nigerian government flagged and removed 58,909,112 offensive contents from various platforms. These included obscene materials, cyberbullying posts, hate speech, and other harmful content.
The crackdown is part of the government’s efforts to enforce stricter compliance and protect Nigerian users from online threats.
In a statement released on Wednesday, Hajiya Hadiza Umar, Director of Corporate Communications and Media Relations at the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), confirmed that 754,629 registered complaints were received from users across the platforms. She revealed that 420,439 disputed posts were restored following user appeals, showing a growing trend of balancing content moderation with digital rights.
The compliance report, jointly coordinated by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), NITDA, and the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), emphasized that platforms operating in Nigeria are legally required to register locally, comply with national regulations, and fulfill tax obligations. Umar commended the collaborative efforts of tech giants, saying their compliance reflects “a stronger commitment to building a safe and trustworthy online ecosystem.”
However, NITDA stressed that the task of sanitizing Nigeria’s digital space is far from complete. The agency called for deeper collaboration among regulators, industry players, and civil society to strengthen digital literacy, enhance transparency, and safeguard online spaces from exploitation. “A safe digital environment is not the government’s duty alone; it requires collective action,” Umar stated.
