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Nigerian government spells new regulation for social media platforms. Will compliance work?

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The Nigerian government wants social media platforms like Twitter, Facebook and Tiktok to be locally registered and open offices in Nigeria and appoint contact persons with the government.

The latest move by the government at regulating social media is part of the new draft regulations from the National information technology development agency published on Monday.

According to a statement by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the new code of practice for “interactive computer service platforms/internet intermediaries” is meant to curb online abuse, including disinformation and misinformation.

The new code stipulates that Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google, and others must “provide information to authorities on harmful accounts, suspected botnets, troll groups, and other coordinated disinformation networks and delete any information that violates Nigerian law within an agreed time.”

Recall that Nigeria’s Information Minister, Lai Mohammed, last month said the country is monitoring Meta Platforms Inc., owners of Facebook and other platforms to ensure they comply with demands to curtail hate speech on their sites.

Nigeria under President Buhari has a record of guarding free speech. Recall that from 5 June 2021 to 13 January 2022, the government of Nigeria officially banned and restricted micro-blogging site, Twitter from operating in the country. The Nigeria government had said the ban was based on “a litany of problems with the social media platform in Nigeria, where misinformation and fake news spread through it have had real-world violent consequences”

Although the conditions for the implementation of the code are yet to be fully implemented, the government said social media platforms must comply with the “new code” for continued operation in Nigeria.

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Facebook returns to Uganda after 4-year ban

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After four years of being in the cooler as a result of suspension by government, Facebook, now Meta, is making a return to Uganda after prolonged negotiations saw the Ugandan government reverse the ban it placed on the platform since 2021.

The suspension of the social media platform had stemmed from accusations by the government that Facebook was meddling in the country’s political affairs during the 2021 presidential elections which arose after it deleted government-affiliated accounts for allegedly spreading disinformation.

This ban of Facebook has led to widespread disruptions across the nation, affecting not only political discourse but also personal connections and business operations.

But according to reports, with a potential re-launch on the horizon for December 2024, Facebook’s comeback could be a game-changer with approximately 2.5 million Ugandans poised to reconnect on the platform, while the Uganda Revenue Authority stands to gain financially from its revival just as businesses, especially smaller enterprises, stand to benefit from advertising incomes.

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20 African tech-preneurs embark on Korean innovation tour

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The African Development Bank Group’s Innovation and Entrepreneurship Lab has selected 20 promising tech entrepreneurs from various African technology ventures and enterprise support organisations to embark on a two-week study tour of the Republic of Korea, with the aim of seeking investment and insights from the country’s innovative tech ecosystem.

The selected entrepreneurs are from 133 ventures that participated in last month’s Africa Tech Startup Forum.

The forum which will hold under the auspices of the lab’s “Leveraging the Entrepreneurial and Innovation Success of Korea to Strengthen African Enterprise Support” project, had selected entrepreneurs who pitched the best business models during the week-long virtual market access and acceleration programme preparing, training, and connecting technology ventures with opportunities.

The 20 young tech-preneurs were selected from eight African countries including Nigeria, Egypt, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, Rwanda, South Africa, and Uganda, with the delegates spanning various sectors in the technology space.

While in Korea, the African delegates will pay visits to prestigious institutions such as Global Startup Centre, LG Science Park, the Korea Software Technology Association, and the Global Digital Innovation Network.

Speaking on behalf of the delegates, founder of Kenya-based health technology venture Zuri Health, Uche Ezadinachi said:

“I am excited to go to Korea because the country has made serious technological developments. The country is a technology-driven society, and this tour is an opportunity for me to see how we can bring such technology to Africa.

“We will share experiences with our Korean counterparts; they will learn from us as much as we learn from them,” he added.

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