The Twitter Africa headquarters controversy

RECENTLY, Twitter made a business decision to locate its Africa headquarters in Ghana, although commercial imperatives should have ordinarily recommended Nigeria. Many Nigerians in the private and official circles were jolted by this painful decision of the social media company. Given the existing figure of 39.6 million Twitter users in Nigeria, which is more than Ghana’s overall population of 32 million people, Nigeria ought to have been the natural choice of the company. The bulk of Twitter users in Africa are Nigerians. However, it seems that Twitter did not consider sales volume, extant and potential, as a critical decision variable in the circumstance. The company cited many factors, including ease of doing business, as reasons for its choice.  Ironically, although a lot of improvement is still required on the ease of doing business in the country, especially those bordering on tweaking the bureaucratic practices and infrastructural deficits to become receptive to and accommodative of new local and foreign businesses, there would appear to be a modicum improvement on the ease of doing business lately.

The Presidential Enabling Business Environment Council (PEBEC) which is chaired by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and controlled by his office has been  doing a fairly good job, leading to marginal improvement in the global rating of the country on the ease of doing business in recent months. Somehow, this improvement has failed to sway Twitter from its decision against Nigeria. This is not a surprise though, because there is more to the ease of doing business than marginal improvement in the provision of infrastructure and a receptive and friendly bureaucracy. The pervasive and deteriorating security situation across the country could not have possibly escaped the radar of any sane and competent entrepreneur making investment decisions. Truth be told, most entrepreneurs would think twice before investing in a supposedly sovereignty which does not s have a firm grip on governance, but rather has a litany of ungoverned spaces within its territory. Or  which investor will take a different decision from Twitter’s given the widespread insecurity in  the country? People, including expatriates, are kidnapped, maimed and killed at will.

Unfortunately, rather than perfecting strategies to arrest the worsening insecurity, the government and some people are currently engaged in a blame game over Twitter’s decision. Yes, Twitter’s decision is painful and concerning as it will result in potential losses to Nigeria and Nigerians in terms of employment and income generation, but the solution does not lie in trading blames. Many Nigerians, including those in the opposition parties, see Nigeria’s loss of Twitter’s Africa  headquarters to Ghana as one of the  signposts of government’s failure and it is difficult to fault that position. It is the duty of the government to provide the right business climate, including security of lives and properties, to attract investors and it becomes blame-worthy if it is doing the obverse.

The situation is not helped by the government’s myopic belief that the #EndSARs protests and  the alleged negative, deceitful and unpatriotic propaganda associated with the protests caused the country to lose the Africa headquarters of Twitter to Ghana. While some people might have conducted themselves in a less than patriotic manner, especially by magnifying the casualties resulting from the #EndSARs protests, the truth is that the protests would not have happened in the first place if the government had been alert to its responsibility by putting the police, and in particular the Special Anti-Robery  Squad, in check. It amounts to playing the ostrich or oversimplifying the security challenges at hand to posit that Twitter predicated its decision to ignore Nigeria in siting its headquarters on the outcome of the #EndSARs protests only.

After all, Twitter is an American company and its home country recently came out with a report which debunked the claim of massacre of protesters by the Nigerian security agents. And  if Twitter’s decision was not swayed by that report, then there must be other reasons. Or is it being suggested that  Twitter was blind to the activities of Boko Haram terrorists, bandits, killer herdsmen and kidnappers across the country? It is time the government woke up from its slumber and devised means to end the heightening insecurity in the country, otherwise nothing would stop unsavoury decisions like Twitter’s from being repeated.

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

Nigeria Is Where It Is Now Due To Leadership Of Family, Friends, Acquaintances Rather Than Ability To Deliver ― Jonathan

Former President of Nigeria, Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, has opined that Nigeria is where it is today because of leadership of family and friends, acquaintances rather than ability and capability to deliver.

I Slept With My 12-Yr-Old Daughter Because My Wife Is No Longer Attractive To Me, Man Tells Police

A 49-year-old man, Ubong Akpan, is now in net of the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly having carnal knowledge of his 12-year-old daughter.

Cryptocurrency: Understanding The Craze, Threat

ON Friday, February 6, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) rocked the boat with a circular that inadvertently highlighted how popular cryptocurrency transactions have become among Nigerians in recent years, judging by… 

After Two Years, Daddy Freeze Apologises To Bishop Oyedepo
Daddy Freeze whose real name is Ifedayo Olarinde has apologised to Bishop Oyedepo who is the presiding bishop and founder of Living Faith Church aka Winners Chapel…