FG Suspends Twitter’s Operations in Nigeria

The Federal Government has suspended, indefinitely, the operations of the microblogging and social networking service, Twitter, in Nigeria. The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, announced the suspension in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday, citing the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence. The Minister said the Federal Government has also directed the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to immediately commence the process of licensing all OTT and social media operations in Nigeria.

Lai charges Local Broadcast Media to tell Nigerian story …… Unveils Ogo Ilu 89.3FM in Oko

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has challenged the Nigerian broadcast media to take the lead in telling the Nigerian story in order to guard against distortion of facts by a section of the foreign media. The Minister gave the challenge in Oko, Oyo State, while commissioning the Ogo Ilu 89.3 FM Station on the stable of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria on Saturday. “Please permit me to use the occasion of this commissioning to challenge broadcast media in Nigeria to take the lead in telling…

FG lauds Pearlena Igbokwe on Promotion To Chair Universal Studio

The Federal Government has congratulated Nigerian-born Pearlena Igbokwe on her recent promotion to Chairman of the Universal Studio Group, a division of NBCUniversal, one of the world’s leading media and entertainment companies. In a statement issued in Abuja on Monday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said the Federal Government was very delighted at the news of the promotion, which he said was the latest in a string of successes that had been recorded by Igbokwe. ”The fact that, in her new role, Igbokwe will lead the…

Lai mourns Ex-Kwara Deputy Speaker, Ayodele Shittu

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has expressed his condolences to the family and friends of the late former Deputy Speaker of the Kwara State House of Assembly, Hon. Ayodele Shittu. In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday, the Minister said he was saddened by the demise of Hon. Shittu who, until his death, was a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state. ”In his lifetime, Hon. Shittu contributed his own quota to the development of Kwara State, and he deserves accolades for…

Lai Mourns Music Icon Olaiya, Calls Him Legend of His Time

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has described the late music icon, Sir Victor Olaiya, as a legend of his time, whose music signposted a great epoch in the history of Nigeria. In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, the Minister said Sir Olaiya’s death, even at a ripe old age, came as a rude shock. He said the demise of the music legend was a great loss to the Creative Industry in particular and the entire country in general ”Sir Victor Olaiya’s was not just…

Information Minister Directs NBC To Implement Measures To Re-position Broadcast Industry, Create Jobs

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has directed the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to immediately implement measures aimed at re-positioning the broadcast industry with a view to sanitizing the industry, creating jobs, promoting local content, boosting the advert industry and bringing the broadcast industry up to par with the best practices from around the world. In a statement issued in Abuja on Thursday, the Minister said the directive becomes necessary following the submission of the report of the committee which he set up to work out the…

Emir of Dutse Commends Minister for Promoting Culture, Tourism

The Emir of Dutse in Jigawa State, Alhaji Nuhu Muhammadu Sanusi, has commended the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, for his leadership role in the promotion of tourism, culture and peaceful co-existence in the country. The Emir made the commendation on Thursday in Dutse, when the Minister paid a courtesy visit to the Emir on the sidelines of the 9th National Council Meeting on Tourism, Culture and National Orientation holding in the Jigawa capital. “We understand the enormity of work you are doing with regards to promoting…

We have Drastically Cut Rice Importation- Lai Mohammed

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari has drastically cut rice importation and moved Nigeria very close to achieving self-sufficiency in rice, a major staple food in the country, in just two years. Addressing a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister -quoting figures from the Thailand Rice Exporters Association said rice importation from Thailand, which supplies the bulk of the parboiled rice being imported into Nigeria, dropped from 644,131 Metric Tonnes to about 21,000 MT between September 2015…