Three major technology platforms Google, LinkedIn, and TikTok have deactivated over 28 million accounts linked to Nigerian users in the past year due to issues ranging from fraud and impersonation to the propagation of harmful content.
This staggering figure was revealed by Kashifu Abdullahi, the Director-General of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), during a symposium on digital innovations in crisis communication hosted by the Centre for Crisis Communication.
Abdullahi provided a platform-by-platform breakdown of the deactivated accounts, stressing that these figures were sourced from the companies’ annual compliance reports:
“So within last year, we have these platforms submitting their annual report. Just three platforms Google, LinkedIn and TikTok deactivated over 28 million accounts.”
The numbers underscore the scale of online misconduct: Google Deactivated 9,680,141 accounts used for online fraud, impersonation, and harmful content.
LinkedIn: Removed an “outrageous” figure of almost 16 million accounts.
The NITDA DG expressed particular concern about the figure from the professional networking site: “For me, this is outrageous because LinkedIn is mostly a professional site. So why are people using it to cause crises and other things? They use it for impersonation and for social engineering to defraud organisations and individuals.”
In addition to account closures, the continuous collaboration between the Nigerian government and big tech companies resulted in the removal of massive amounts of problematic content.
“Over 58,909,000 contents were removed last year through our relationship with these big techs, and 420,000 contents were reinstated some after complaints, some after their own internal review,” he said.
Abdullahi emphasized the crucial need for a structured and agreed-upon process for both the take-down and reinstatement of content. He argued this mechanism is vital to prevent abuse by governments or powerful entities while ensuring the swift removal of genuinely harmful material.
“If content is not violating any laws in Nigeria, there is no way we can just say take it down,” he said, asserting that the reinstatement mechanism is necessary to protect minority voices online.
The DG noted that this engagement with global tech companies has improved communication channels and supported local initiatives like Nigeria’s Data Protection Regulation, which subsequently led to the creation of the Nigerian Data Protection Commission.
The symposium highlighted that while social media has revolutionised communication, it has simultaneously become a primary conduit for the spread of misinformation, extremist propaganda, and targeted scams.
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Mohammed Idris, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, stressed the imperative of leveraging emerging technologies to transform crisis communication in a way that safeguards public safety and upholds national security.
In remarks delivered by the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria, Jibrin Ndace, the Minister acknowledged that technology presents serious challenges that can destabilise a nation if left unchecked.
“It is not only the insecurity that we battle, but also the narrative that frames the insecurity,” the minister noted, highlighting the immense impact of how national issues are reported.
Meanwhile, retired Major General Chris Olukolade, Chairman of the Centre for Crisis Communication, declared that crisis communication has evolved from a mere supportive function into a strategic national security asset. He warned that modern crises unfold in real time, demanding equally rapid and reliable communication responses.
According to Olukolade, the survival of affected populations now heavily relies on rapid access to verified information, efficient institutional coordination, and the speed of the public response.