By Ghazali Ibrahim
TikTok has denied restricting access to its platform in parts of Northern Nigeria following weeks of complaints from users in four states.
The platform’s Head of Communications for Sub-Saharan Africa, Keagile Makgoba, said the company was engaging relevant stakeholders to resolve the reported difficulties.
“We can confirm that this restriction was not implemented by TikTok,” Makgoba said in a statement on Monday.
Users in Kaduna, Kano, Kebbi and Sokoto states have reportedly experienced difficulties accessing the platform since September 14, with videos failing to load, feeds freezing and content uploads remaining unsuccessful.
Some affected users said they could access TikTok after connecting through virtual private networks (VPNs), which route internet traffic through other servers.
However, the reported improvement in access through VPNs does not establish who or what is responsible for the disruption.
TikTok did not identify the stakeholders it was engaging or explain the possible cause of the reported access problems. It also did not provide a timeline for restoring normal access.
The development has prompted calls from civil society organisations for an independent investigation into the disruption.
The groups urged relevant authorities and telecommunications operators to establish whether the difficulties resulted from technical problems or deliberate restrictions.
