The Federal Government of Nigeria recently announced the indefinite suspension of Twitter from operating in Nigeria (‘the Ban’), subsequently directing the National Broadcasting Commission to immediately commence the licensing of all Over The Top (OTT) services and social media operations in Nigeria.

Further to the Ban, there were reports that the Attorney-General of the Federation had instructed the prosecution of individuals and corporate organisations that enable Twitter to circumvent the Ban.

There have been debates regarding the constitutionality of the ban, its infringement on free speech as well as the regulation of OTT services and social media generally.

This newsletter highlights some of the legal and commercial implications of the Ban on the business operations of OTT services and social media platforms in Nigeria.