A coalition of 13 civil society organisations has urged the Nigerian government to conduct a prompt, transparent, and independent investigation into the recent disruption of TikTok access in parts of Northern Nigeria. The disruption, which started as intermittent access difficulties around September 14, 2026, has grown into a multi-week digital blackout, affecting millions of Nigerian citizens whose livelihoods depend on the social media platform. The coalition, which includes Accountability Lab (AL) Nigeria, Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), and Media Rights Agenda (MRA), among others, made the call in a joint statement issued after an emergency meeting.
The meeting was convened to address the unresolved disruptions affecting access to TikTok in parts of northern Nigeria, notably Kaduna, Kebbi, Kano, and Sokoto. The situation has created difficult experiences for people loading TikTok, viewing videos, and uploading content through mobile-data connections. The coalition emphasised the need for transparency, accountability, technical verification, and respect for freedom of expression and access to information. They also stressed that any legitimate concerns relating to security, public order, or unlawful online activity should be addressed through targeted, lawful, and proportionate measures.
The coalition urged the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), as well as the relevant departments and agencies of the affected state governments, to urgently investigate the TikTok disruption and publish a comprehensive report to the public. The report should include details on what happened, where and when it happened, which networks were affected, the technical cause, whether any government agency was involved, and what remedial action was taken.
The coalition also recommended that telecommunications operators and other service providers should be required to clearly inform affected consumers about the nature and extent of any major network disruption and the expected restoration period. This, they believe, will help to ensure that citizens are aware of the situation and can plan accordingly. Furthermore, the coalition suggested that the NCC should facilitate independent network testing in the affected locations.
The independent network testing, which should be conducted by qualified researchers and civil society organisations with relevant technical expertise, aims to distinguish an ordinary technical outage from deliberate or inadvertent network-level interference. This will help to determine the cause of the disruption and ensure that similar incidents do not occur in the future. The coalition also emphasised the importance of protecting the right of citizens to access information online.
The coalition noted that internet access is essential to the enjoyment of multiple human rights, and that states should refrain from interfering with internet and digital communications platforms unless such interference complies with applicable human rights. They also stressed that any measures taken to address legitimate concerns should be targeted, lawful, and proportionate. The coalition's call for an investigation into the TikTok disruption is a timely reminder of the importance of ensuring that citizens' rights are protected online.
The disruption to TikTok access in Northern Nigeria has significant implications for citizens who rely on the platform for their livelihoods. The coalition's recommendations, if implemented, will help to ensure that citizens' rights are protected, and that similar incidents do not occur in the future. The government has yet to respond to the coalition's call for an investigation, but it is hoped that they will take the matter seriously and take necessary steps to address the issue.
Key points
- The coalition of civil society organisations is calling for a prompt, transparent, and independent investigation into the recent disruption of TikTok access in parts of Northern Nigeria.
- The disruption has affected millions of Nigerian citizens whose livelihoods depend on the social media platform.
- The coalition is recommending that telecommunications operators should be required to clearly inform affected consumers about the nature and extent of any major network disruption.
