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SERAP Challenges Buhari to Provide Agreement With Twitter

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Agreement With Twitter

By Adedapo Adesanya

Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to provide a copy of the agreement the federal government had with the social media company, Twitter.

On Wednesday, January 12, the FG announced that it has reached an arrangement with the micro-blogging site to lift the ban it placed on its use in Nigeria on June 4, 2021.

Now, the organisation is calling on the President to use his good offices and leadership position to direct the Minister of Information and Culture, Mr Lai Mohammed, to provide it with a copy of the agreement recently signed with Twitter, and to widely publish the details of any such agreement.

SERAP also urged him to “direct Alhaji Lai Mohammed to clarify the manner and scope in which the agreement with Twitter will be enforced, including whether the agreement incorporates respect for human rights, consistent with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and international obligations.”

In a letter dated January 15, 2022, and signed by SERAP deputy director Kolawole Oluwadare, the organization said: “Publishing the agreement would enable Nigerians to scrutinize it, seek legal remedies as appropriate, and ensure that the conditions for lifting the suspension of Twitter are not used as pretexts to suppress legitimate discourse.”

SERAP said: “Publishing the agreement with Twitter would also promote transparency, accountability, and help to mitigate threats to Nigerians’ rights online, as well as any interference with online privacy in ways that deter the exercise of freedom of opinion and expression.”

According to SERAP, “Nigerians are entitled to their constitutionally and internationally recognized human rights, such as the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, privacy, peaceful assembly, and association, as well as public participation both offline and online.”

“Any agreement with social media companies must meet constitutional and international requirements, including legality, necessity, proportionality, and legitimacy.

“This means that any conditions for lifting the suspension of Twitter must meet the requirements of regular legal processes and limit government discretion. Secretly agreed conditions will fail these fundamental requirements.

“The government has a duty to demonstrate that the conditions for lifting the suspension of Twitter would not threaten or violate the enjoyment of Nigerians’ human rights online and that the conditions are in pursuit of a legitimate goal in a democratic society.

“SERAP is concerned that the operation and enforcement of the agreement may be based on broadly worded restrictive laws, which may be used as pretexts to suppress legitimate discourse, interfere with online privacy, and deter the exercise of freedom of opinion and expression,” it also stated.

It added: “For example, the statement by the government announcing the lifting of the suspension of Twitter used overly broad terms and phrases like ‘prohibited publication’, ‘Nigerian laws’, ‘national culture and history’. These open-ended terms and phrases may be used to suppress the legitimate exercise of human rights online.

“Any agreement with social media companies must not be used as a ploy to tighten governmental control over access to the internet, monitor internet activity, or to increase online censorship and the capacity of the government to restrict legitimate online content, contrary to standards on freedom of expression and privacy.

“SERAP notes the interdependence of human rights, such as the importance of privacy as a gateway to freedom of expression.

“Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights guarantee the right to hold opinions without interference, and the right to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers and through any medium.

“The Nigerian Constitution and human rights treaties impose duties on your government to ensure enabling environments for freedom of expression, privacy rights, and other human rights, and to protect their exercise.”

SERAP noted that “While human rights law requires States to prohibit ‘advocacy of national, racial or religious hatred that constitutes incitement to discrimination, hostility or violence’, States must still satisfy the cumulative conditions of legality, necessity, proportionality and legitimacy in any agreement with social media companies.

“Your government has a legal obligation to promote universal Internet access, media diversity, and independence, as well as ensure that any agreements with Twitter and other social media companies are not used to impermissibly restrict these fundamental human rights.

“By the combined reading of the provisions of the Constitution of Nigeria, the Freedom of Information Act 2011, and human rights treaties to which Nigeria is a state party, there are transparency obligations imposed on your government to widely publish the agreement and details of the conditions upon which the suspension of Twitter was lifted.

“It is stated in the statement by the Federal Government that Twitter has reached an agreement with the government ‘to manage prohibited publication in line with Nigerian laws.’ We would be grateful for clarifications on the definition of ‘prohibited information,’ and the specific applicable Nigerian laws in the context of the agreement.

“It is also stated in the statement by the Federal Government that Twitter has agreed to ‘act with a respectful acknowledgement of Nigerian laws and the national culture and history on which such legislation has been built.’ We would be grateful for clarifications on the specific and applicable Nigerian laws, national culture, and history upon which the operation and enforcement of the agreement will be based.

“We would be grateful if the requested information and details are provided to us within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall take all appropriate legal action in the public interest to compel your government to comply with our request.

“According to our information, the approval was given to lift the suspension of Twitter operation in Nigeria effective from 12 am 13th January 2022 following the memo sent to you by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Ali Ibrahim. The decision to lift the suspension was reportedly based on the recommendations by the Technical Committee on Nigeria-Twitter Engagement.

“SERAP notes that Alhaji Lai Mohammed on 5th June 2021, announced the suspension of operation of Twitter by the Federal Government, following which a seven-man Presidential Committee was set up to engage Twitter Inc. The Presidential Committee, in turn, established a 20-member Technical Committee, which reportedly directly worked with the Twitter team.”

The letter was copied to Mr Lai Mohammed and Mr Abubakar Malami, SAN, Attorney General of the Federation, and Minister of Justice.

Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.

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Ogun Governor Announces Full Implementation of Contributory Pension Scheme

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monthly pension increase

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Ogun State Government says it has commenced full implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) in a bid to resolve the ongoing industrial action that has disrupted public services across.

Speaking with labour leaders, the governor of the state, Mr Dapo Abiodun, said the scheme commenced on July 2, 2025, describing the move as a decisive step toward restoring trust between the state and its workforce.

“This is not just a policy adjustment, it is a commitment to ensuring that our workers are not deprived of what is rightfully theirs,” the governor said.

He also said the state government has also rolled out a 10-year framework to clear outstanding pension liabilities in two five-year tranches, scheduled for completion by 2035.

Mr Abiodun promised that the arrangement would be codified into law to ensure continuity beyond his administration, revealing that in addition to the pension reform, his administration will implement long-delayed promotions from 2023 and 2024.

Workers promoted in 2023 will begin receiving salary increases reflective of their new ranks in September 2025 while those promoted in 2024 will see theirs by December, three months earlier than the initial March 2026 timeline, he promised.

The Organised labour under the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in Ogun State commenced an indefinite strike over the government’s failure to remit pension deductions, implement the national minimum wage, and address other unresolved issues.

Speaking on Monday, the Ogun State Chairman of NLC, Mr Demola Hameed-Benco, said this followed a resolution reached at a statewide congress of civil service workers in Abeokuta, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).

The statement directed all civil and public servants to withdraw their services immediately, citing the government’s alleged non-compliance with the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) established under the Ogun State Pension Reform Law of 2008, amended in 2013.

At the time, Mr Abiodun said the strike was unnecessary and avoidable.

“There was no need for industrial action when we could have sat down to iron out the issues,” he said, urging union leaders to prioritize dialogue moving forward.

The governor further emphasized that structural measures had been put in place to ensure a seamless rollout of the CPS, aimed at guaranteeing retirement security for civil servants.

On their part, the labour leaders said the strike was not intended to paralyze the state’s economy or undermine its peace, but rather to safeguard the rights of workers.

They thanked the Ogun governor and pledged to continue cooperating with the government, reaffirming their commitment to maintaining the state’s reputation.

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States Kick Against Electricity Act Amendment

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electricity tariffs

By Adedapo Adesanya

Nigerian subnational governments have demanded an immediate halt to the ongoing amendment of the recently passed Electricity Act (EA).

Coming under the Forum of Commissioners of Power and Energy (FOCPEN), the states decried what they described as the lack of consultation by the federal government and the industry regulator, the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), concerning the extant matter.

They argued that if the move succeeds, it will see the transfer of over N5 trillion in subsidies from the federal government to power consumers.

In a lengthy statement released by the Chairman of the Forum, Mr Eka Williams, who doubles as the Commissioner of Power and Renewable Energy, Cross River State and its Secretary, Mr Omale Omale, who is the Commissioner of Power, Renewable Energy and Transport, Benue State, the group expressed profound surprise and concern regarding the proposed Electricity Act (Amendment) Bill, 2025.

Recall that this comes almost two years since the Electricity Act 2023 was signed into law, and since then, some states established and operationalise their electricity markets under the new decentralised framework.

Business Post reports that around 16 states having passed their electricity laws since the enactment of the Electricity Act by President Bola Tinubu..

They argued that the amendment, if successful, would strip them of the powers conferred by the existing law.

“The amendment bill proposes the creation of numerous federal institutions, agencies and funds, whose operational and administrative costs are to be directly passed on to electricity consumers, thus resulting in higher electricity tariffs for consumers. The imposition of additional financial burden on electricity customers already struggling with high electricity tariffs for Band ‘A’ service is unacceptable, especially when states are actively pursuing cost-reflective tariffs tied to improved quality of service.

“In addition, the bill specifies mandatory contributions from consumers and market participants to fund the Power Consumer Assistance Fund (PCAF). Consumers, including those in states with cost-reflective tariffs, would bear the cost of subsidies through tariff surcharges, even in the face of widespread non-payment and market losses. By this provision, the amendment bill would also transfer over N5 trillion in unpaid subsidies to electricity consumers, worsening affordability and equity in electricity access,” the commissioners argued.

FOCPEN noted that the absence of any prior consultations with state governments, or their relevant commissioners and state electricity regulatory bodies during the drafting and presentation of the crucial amendment bill on the floor of the senate.

According to the commissioners, the unilateral approach undermines the spirit of cooperative federalism and threatens to reverse the gains made in decentralising Nigeria’s electricity sector.

The group described the move as an unconstitutional overreach and backdoor constitutional amendment, adding that the federal government was seeking to reintroduce constraints and ambiguities that were expressly removed by the fifth alteration of the Constitution.

“The amendment bill, if passed, will create a constitutional conflict between the federal government and states, as well as legal and regulatory conflicts between federal and state regulators, undermining the principle of cooperative federalism and potentially inviting judicial challenges,” they emphasised.

The state governments maintained that the electricity amendment bill 2025 surprisingly seeks to entrench a subsidy regime in the power sector, arguing that it will further exacerbate the financial burden on the federal government and states, undermining efforts to achieve a sustainable and self-financing power sector.

They stressed that the amendment bill, if passed, will create policy, legal and regulatory conflicts between federal and state agencies/regulators, significantly increasing regulatory uncertainty and risks for both federal and state-level investors in the electricity market.

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Ibadan Agog as AAAN’s 52nd AGM/Congress Begins

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AAAN

The 52nd Annual General Meeting and Congress of the Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN) begins in Ibadan, bringing together key stakeholders from across Nigeria’s advertising and marketing ecosystem for three days of industry-defining dialogue, networking, and celebration.

The event taking place at JAGZ Hotel in the Iyaganku area of Ibadan, has as theme, “Charting Bold Paths Forward”. The theme reflects the industry’s collective commitment to innovation, resilience, and transformative leadership in a fast-changing environment.

The AGM/Congress will begin with a fireside chat at 7PM with Dr Lekan Fadolapo, Director-General, Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON).

The main conference will be held on Friday, with Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State scheduled to declare it open. He will be joined by dignitaries including the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris Malagi. They are expected to drive high-level conversations around policy, regulation, and the future of the creative economy.

A major highlight of the day will be keynote addresses from Idowu Akinde, CEO of Impact Hub Lagos, and Bolanle Osotule, GM, Brand Marketing and Advertising at Airtel Nigeria. This will be followed by a high-level panel discussion moderated by Oluwatobi Williams, Creative Director at 7even Interactive.

Panelists expected at the session include Damola Richard Salvador, MD/CEO, Digisplash Limited; Dr. Seun Fakorede, Executive Adviser, Youth & Sports to the Oyo State Governor; Josiah Akinola, Senior Category & Channel Manager, Nigerian Breweries; George Onukwu, Executive Director, TBWA\Concept.

According to AAAN President, Lanre Adisa, the theme of this year’s congress is a direct response to the shifting terrain of marketing communications.

“The business landscape is changing fast. And while some see disruption, we see opportunity. The future belongs to agencies bold enough to rethink, retool, and reimagine the value they bring,” Adisa said.

The final day of the AGM/Congress will be dedicated to governance and reflection. After team bonding and a breakfast session, the Business Session will begin, featuring updates on AAAN’s leadership, financial reports, and the induction of new members. Three agency presentations by Noor Takaful Insurance, Conduit Plus, and Retinaad Limited will also take place.

The event will close with a Gala and Awards Night, where advertising professionals will be celebrated for excellence in the industry. Attendees will don traditional aso oke attire, and special awards such as So Your Kolo’s Best Dressed will also be presented.

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