Former Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has revealed that suspending Twitter’s operations in Nigeria was one of the hardest decisions he made while in office.
Mohammed disclosed this on Wednesday while responding to questions during an interview on Prime Time, a programme on Arise Television.
He explained that the suspension was carried out in the national interest, arguing that Twitter had become the preferred platform for individuals he described as attempting to destabilise the country.
“One of the multiple and most difficult decisions I took was suspending Twitter’s operation in Nigeria,” he said.
He stated that the action was necessary, not because he wanted to, but because certain decisions must be taken for the sake of the nation.
“I had to take that decision on national interest, because a time came when Twitter became the platform of choice for all those who are destabilising the country.
“So there are some decisions like that that you have to take, not because you like them.”
Mohammed stressed that the suspension was not triggered by the deletion of a tweet made by former President Muhammadu Buhari. He recalled going to Buhari to seek approval for the suspension.
“The trigger for that decision was not because the late former President Muhammadu Buhari’s tweet was deleted. I went to President Buhari, and I asked him, Sir, we need to suspend the services of Twitter.
“And he asked why? Is it because they deleted my tweet? I said no, sir. And I gave him instances and examples.”
He added that he had long advocated for the regulation of social media, noting that he had made several efforts to engage media houses on the issue.
“You see, I have been an advocate of regulating social media for a very long time. I started by visiting media houses. I started by trying to work with them, but it was clear in my mind that an unregulated social media could be a disaster.
“If you monitored me between 2016 and 2023, I was always on the issue of social media, and I kept saying, I’m not trying to stifle free press, but we must regulate social media,” he said.
