With the government and Twitter at loggerheads over issues related to content removal and freedom of expression, the Nigerian government on Wednesday announced that social media platforms Twitter, Facebook and Instagram must now register to do business in Nigeria.

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said that Twitter management has reached out to seek high-level discussion to resolve the issue that led to the suspension of its activities in Nigeria.

According to him, the management of the microblogging platform reached out on Wednesday morning.

Mohammed reiterated that Twitter was suspended because it provided an avenue for those that are threatening the corporate existence of Nigeria.

According to him, the owner of Twitter helped to fund the recent #EndSARS protest while allowing the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, to use the platform to call for the killing of policemen.

The minister said Twitter failed to take down Kanu’s tweets despite repeated requests to do so.

Mohammed listed conditions that must be met even if there is a discussion with Twitter including that it must now be registered in Nigeria as a business concern.

Apart from Twitter, he said other social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram must be registered in the country.

Mohammed insisted that freedom of speech has not been stifled by the suspension of Twitter as he maintained that Nigerians can still use other platforms such as Facebook and Instagram.

He also denied that the suspension is not effective arguing that that Twitter is losing money as a result of the action.