The Federal Government of Nigeria confirmed the shutdown of about 13,597,057 social media accounts over the past year, citing violations of offensive content rules and codes of practice.

The figures were released in the 2024 Code of Practice Compliance Report, submitted by major tech companies including Google, Microsoft, and TikTok.

The report further indicates that 58,909,112 offensive posts were removed across platforms within the same year, and 754,629 formal complaints were officially recorded.

The Code of Practice jointly issued by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) mandates that registered large-scale interactive service platforms operate in compliance with Nigerian laws. This includes obligations such as content moderation aligned with the country’s regulatory standards and tax compliance.

Ibrahim Hadiza Umar, NITDA’s Director of Corporate Communications and Media Relations, lauded the platforms’ adherence to the code.

She described this compliance as a “significant step towards fostering a safer and responsible digital environment for Nigerian users,” and emphasized the importance of continued collaboration across industry stakeholders to strengthen online safety, digital literacy, and transparency.