Meta launches Creator Lab in Nigeria

We hosted young, emerging and aspiring creators across lifestyle and entertainment as part of our Creator Lab programme in Nigeria. The first-of-its-kind educational program brought creators together in person to connect with fellow creators, participate in immersive workshops and experience the latest innovations within our ecosystem.

The programme, which took place in Lagos, had over 40 creators and influencers present to learn how to explore creativity and grow on Instagram. As part of the programme, the creators were encouraged to create inspiring content that showcases optimism using the hashtag #PositiveVibesOnlyChallenge.

“We are excited to launch Creator Lab Live in Nigeria, a first-of-its-kind event by Instagram to support emerging and aspiring creators to grow on Instagram. Nigeria already has a thriving creator ecosystem with a global cultural influence and provides an excellent opportunity for us to support them as they navigate their journeys and careers. We recognise the amazing content they create across our family of apps and are committed to helping creators to grow their communities and make a living across our platforms. As we work toward shaping the future of digital content and experiences, we are excited and invested in giving creators a home base to build community and create engaging content through various content formats and creative tools.” – Moon Baz, Creator Partnerships Lead, Africa, Middle East and Turkey, Meta

A fireside chat titled “How to Keep Relevant in the Creator Space” was held during the programme with Amarachi Amusi (ashmusy), who spoke about the importance of staying up-to-date with trends and remaining consistent as a creator.

The Creator Lab Live was attended by several talented content creators including Taaooma, Markangelcomedy, Ayomidate, Frank iTom, Miss Techy, De General, Twinz_love, Lizzy Jay, and Geenafoodiesandspice, who also took part in the #PositiveVibesOnlyChallenge. 

Meta

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Nigerian government closely monitoring Nigerians using Twitter after ownership change

The Nigerian Government said that it is closely monitoring the use of Twitter by Nigerians.

Speaking at the media briefing on the achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari’s (2015-2023) series, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said the monitoring has become imperative following the change of ownership of Twitter.

He noted that with an increase in the dissemination of fake news in the country, many have expressed fears of the possible banning of Twitter again.

“Many have asked for our reaction following reports that there has been a spike in fake news, disinformation, and
hate speech since the micro-blogging site changed ownership. Many have even asked us if another ban is in the offing”, he said.

The Minister however informed that the government has no intention of further banning any social media platform. He added that while the government upholds freedom of speech, it will not watch mischief makers destabilize the country through fake news.

“It has never been our intention to ban any social media platform or stifle free speech. Not at all. What happened in the case of Twitter is well-known to all.

“Twitter became a platform of choice for those who want to destabilize Nigeria, using fake news, disinformation, and hate speech.

“No nation will allow any social media platform to plunge it into anarchy. Definitely not Nigeria. But we have continued to engage positively with the different social media platforms, including Facebook, Google (owners of YouTube), and Twitter.

“We have no intention of banning any social media platform again. But we will also not sit by and allow any platform whatsoever to throw our nation into crisis.”

The Federal Government between June 5 2021 and January 13, officially banned Twitter, restricting it from operating in the country after it deleted tweets made by President Muhammadu Buhari.

The Guardian, by Bridget Chiedu Onochie

Related story: Nigerians launch legal action against government’s Twitter ban

Nigerians react to Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover

As Elon Musk’s $44bn takeover of Twitter sends users and media outlets into a frenzy, there have been mixed reactions from citizens of Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country.

For its estimated three million Nigerian users, Twitter has come to be an important civic space to hold the government accountable and mobilise for political and social causes.

Last year, Twitter, under its past CEO and founder, Jack Dorsey, came under fire from the Nigerian government, which banned the platform from operating in the country for seven months.

The standoff was a result of the platform’s decision to delete a tweet from President Muhhamdu Buhari that it tagged as “genocidal” and in contravention of the platform’s policies.

A section of Nigerians believe that the company’s new leadership under South African-born Musk, noted for his “free speech” rhetoric and less politically progressive stance than Dorsey, will not stand with them in their time of need.

“Essentially, as a Nigerian, Twitter is a very important platform for us,’’ Uloma Nwoke, a 26-year-old digital strategist told Al Jazeera, “And Jack stepping down and the company being taken over by a person who has not shown that he really cares [about political movements] is very disturbing.”

From #BringBackOurGirls, a rescue campaign for more than 200 schoolgirls kidnapped by the armed group Boko Haram to #EndSARS, a movement against police brutality and extrajudicial killings in Nigeria, Twitter has emerged as a major rallying tool for the youth.

“Twitter was very crucial during the ENDSARS protests,” Nwoke said. “And it is not because it was Twitter, we know that it was Jack that did that and I don’t see how someone like Elon will key into the political struggle of oppressed people in their countries.”

Others said Musk’s entrance into the scene is a triumph for freedom of speech and information.

The Twitter ban mirrored a growing international trend – other countries like India, North Korea, Iran and China also censured the network, as users pushed its mobilisation capacity to the limits.

In Nigeria, the ban was only lifted in January after an undisclosed agreement was reached with the government. During the ban, information minister Lai Mohammed cited China as a reference for the government’s actions.

“For example, in China, social media is being regulated and such a thing is not in Nigeria, and we have all those agencies that are capable of the regulation in the country,’’ he said at a news conference last year.

With the Nigerian government looking to regulate social media platforms, it is still unclear how Musk’s emergence might help the government’s censure plans.

Tomiwa Ilori, a doctoral researcher on internet freedom at the Centre for Human Rights, University of Pretoria told Al Jazeera that the position of the Nigerian government and Musk’s philosophy are at odds.

“This is because the Nigerian government claims it wants to rid social media platforms, including Twitter, of online harms – even though this is not the case – while Musk cares little about such harms and would rather allow all kinds of speech,” he said. “This could provide the Nigerian government with the excuse of clamping on social media platforms because all kinds of speech are allowed.”

Ilori added that Musk’s stance as “a free speech absolutist” is a luxury many Western countries can afford, but not Africa.

“There are complex political, historical and cultural contexts that influence speech in many non-Western systems such that there has to be some level of limitation on expression, especially under international human rights law”, he said.”

“For example … online hate speech has been allowed to fester on social media platforms in Ethiopia. Countries like Russia also nest troll farms in countries like Ghana to manipulate online information and derail elections in African countries. Actors like Twitter cannot afford to be a free speech absolutist in such instances.”

By Ope Adetayo 

Al Jazeera

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The Nigerian government on Wednesday lifted the ban on Twitter after the social media company agreed to conditions, including opening a local office. The news came as a welcome relief to Nigerian users of the social media platform, who had been locked out for close to seven months. From the ability to use the platform to air one's views to promoting local businesses, Nigerians from all walks of life had mixed reactions to the lifting of the ban.

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Court restrains Nigeria from prosecuting Twitter users: Activists

A West African court has restrained the Nigerian government from “unlawfully” prosecuting people from using Twitter, while it is considering a legal action launched by activists and journalists seeking to reverse a ban on the social media giant.

Authorities in early June indefinitely suspended Twitter, two days after the platform removed a post from President Muhammadu Buhari that threatened to punish regional secessionists, which Twitter said violated its rules. The Nigerian attorney general further said those who defied the ban should be prosecuted, but did not provide any details as to which law would be invoked.

n response, the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), a local rights group, along with 176 other Nigerians, went to court to fight the ban.

On Tuesday, a statement describing the decision to suspend the hugely popular social media platform’s operations as an attempt to silence criticism of the government from SERAP quoted the Court of Justice of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) as saying it was restraining the government from acting against citizens or media outlets over the use of Twitter, pending a substantive ruling on the core issue.

“The court has listened very well to the objection,” SERAP said. “Any interference with Twitter is viewed as inference with human rights, and that will violate human rights,” it added.

The lawsuit’s applicants had argued that the Twitter suspension “escalated repression of human rights and unlawfully restricted the rights of Nigerians and other people to freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom in the country”.

Applicants also urged the court to hold the Nigerian government liable for the violation of “their fundamental human right and for breaching its international obligations” by banning Twitter.

The government’s move prompted an immediate backlash among social media users and human rights activists, with #NigeriaTwitterBan and #KeepitOn trending on the platform as Nigerians used virtual private networks to access the site.

There was no immediate comment by the Nigerian government following Tuesday’s ruling.

Nigeria’s Information minister Lai Mohammed has previously said the suspension had nothing to do with Buhari’s tweet being deleted, but rather with “separatists inciting violence” online.

“Regulating social media is not about stifling press freedom. All we are talking about is the responsible use of these platforms,” he told the Thomson Reuters Foundation, adding that Facebook, WhatsApp and YouTube were still accessible.

In 2021, Nigeria ranked 120th out of 180 countries in the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index.

Al Jazeera

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Facebook to open Africa office in Lagos, Nigeria

 Facebook announced plans for a new office in Lagos, Nigeria in the coming year.

The Lagos division will host teams specialised in engineering, sales, politics and communications. The Lagos office will also be Facebook’ssecond office on the African continent after its Johannesburg bureau in South Africa

Facebook hopes to develop products made by Africans, for Africans and the rest of the world.

In 2016, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg went on his first business in Africa, meeting Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari and local businessmen in Legos, where he now plans to further implement his company.

Facebook’s expansion on the African continent will certainly be watched by western African countries.

According to a study commissioned by the Social Media company, Facebook’s investments in infrastructures and connectivity in Sub saharian africa coul generate over 57 billion dollars for african economies over the next 5 years.

 CGTN

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