The United States Mission in Nigeria has said that the Nigerian authorities should reverse the ban of the micro-blogging site, Twitter, immediately.
This is even as opposition members of the Nigerian House of Representatives on Tuesday staged a walkout on Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila over Twitter ban.
According to the US Mission, nearly 40 million Nigerians use Twitter for all kinds of communication, hence banning the social media giant was against the will of the Nigeria people. The US said Nigeria is Africa’s largest tech hub.
The statement made by United States International Development (USAID) Administrator, Samantha Power, said the ban was nothing more than state sanctioned denial of free speech and should be reversed immediately.
The statement posted reads:
“There are nearly 40 M Twitter users in #Nigeria, and the country is home to Africa’s largest tech hub.
“This suspension is nothing more than state-sanctioned denial of free speech and should be reversed immediately. #KeepitOn – USAID – US Agency for International Development Administrator Samantha Power”
However, former president of the United States, Donald Trump, commended President Muhammadu Buhari for banning Twitter. He said it was a welcome development.