The Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Kashifu Inuwa Abdullah, says Nigeria plans to take greater control over the operations of TikTok and other social media platforms in the country.
Abdullah said the initiative aims to align digital content with national objectives such as skill development, digital safety, and unity.
He stressed that Nigeria must play an active role in shaping how global platforms operate within its digital space.
“The U.S. is doing it to protect its digital dignity — and what is good for the U.S. is equally good for Africa and Nigeria,” he noted.
The NITDA chief explained that most global tech platforms are not designed with African users or local regulations in mind.
“When these apps are developed, they rarely consider our context or laws.
“Since we have the right to self-determination, we must define how these platforms should function in Nigeria,” he added.
Abdullah acknowledged TikTok’s potential for creativity and self-expression.
He observed that many Nigerians use it mainly for entertainment rather than productive purposes.
“We want to see people leveraging it to promote digital safety and create content that strengthens national unity.
” Unfortunately, much of the time our youth spend on it could instead be channelled into developing future-ready skills,” he said.
