Chinese Cyber Sovereignty & Nigeria's #Twitterban

The China Africa Project

The Nigerian government justified the banning of Twitter on the basis of protecting the country's national interest, security, and sovereignty. Although the move was done for purely domestic political reasons, the government's defense is strikingly similar to the language that China pioneered more than a decade ago when it first introduced its "Cyber Sovereignty" model for internet governance. It shouldn't come as a surprise, though, that Nigeria may be following China's example by making the state a central actor in determining what its constituents can see and do online. Senior Nigerian officials for years have openly expressed admiration for China's rigid system of internet censorship and control. Emeka Umejei, a lecturer at the University of Ghana and an expert in Chinese media and communications, said the fact that China has been able to impose its will on the internet while at the same time fostering digital innovation presents a very appealing model for some African leaders. He joins Eric & Cobus to discuss the Nigerian Twitter ban and what connection, if any, it has with China's approach to online sovereignty. JOIN THE DISCUSSION: CAP on Facebook: www.facebook.com/ChinaAfricaProject Twitter: @eolander | @stadenesque | @emekaumejei SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHINA AFRICA PROJECT Your subscription supports independent journalism. Subscribers get the following: 1. The world's only curated China-Africa News Feed with thousands of articles archive 2. Exclusive analysis of the day's top stories about China in Africa and the Global South 3. A copy of the popular China-Africa Daily Brief newsletter delivered to your inbox by 6am Washington time M-F Try it free for 30-days and see if you like it. Subscriptions start at just $7 a month for students and teachers and $15 a month for everyone else. Subscribe here: www.chinaafricaproject.com/subscribe