Nigeria Twitter Ban: An Erosion of Freedom of Information?
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Date
2021-12-31
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
International Journal of Management, social sciences, Peace and Conflict Studies (IJMSSPCS)
Abstract
Of the three basic human liberties: the freedom of speech; the freedom to pursue tastes and the
freedom of association, John StuartMill (1644) in his paper "On Liberty", concluded thatthe
first is of the highest importance. The press which represents the pinnacle of freedom of speech
has continued to occupy a place of prominence in practising democracies, performing vital roles
of being source of information, acting watchdog on those in authority and being the champion
of the downtrodden. This is even as governments, from time immemorial have relied on the
press to communicate with the public on policies that shapes their everyday living. The
introduction of the Internet, especially the social media networks have further expanded the
two-way information traffic between government and people -while making the process more
flexible, accessible and feedback quicker. Ironically, in the age where technological innovation
and advancement in knowledge have revolutionized the way people conduct their affairs; the
media has seen its freedom on a downward slide the world over. The right to seek and
disseminate information through independent media is under severe attack as can be seen.This
paper examines the Nigerian authority's efforts at restricting press freedom and specifically,
the 2021 Nigeria Twitter suspension. Various implications the country may be confronted with
as aftermath are here considered. The paper relied on secondary data collection method. Finding
shows that the Nigerian government is apprehensive on account that citizens are championing
the cause for the respect of their fundamental human rights; for due process and constitutional
jurisprudence. It is therefore advised that government should shed its antagonistic toga and
open the media space in order to enable freedom of expression and deepen democracy.
Description
Keywords
Twitter, Freedom-of-information, Social Media, Nigeria, Press-censorship
Citation
Obiaje, K. M. (2021). Nigeria Twitter Ban : An Erosion Of Freedom Of Information?International Journal Of Management, Social Sciences, Peace And Conflict Studies, IJMSSPCS. Vol. 4, No. 4, December, 2021. P.g 37 - 51 ISSN (ONLINE): 2682-6135. https://bit.ly/3EU8jVw