CSOs Demand Probe Into TikTok Disruption in Northern Nigeria

Oru Leonard

A coalition of civil society organisations has called for an urgent, transparent and independent investigation into reported disruptions of TikTok access in parts of northern Nigeria, particularly Kaduna, Kebbi, Kano and Sokoto states.

The organisations said the disruption, reportedly noticed from around September 14, 2026, had persisted for more than two weeks, leaving some users unable to load videos, view content or upload materials through conventional mobile-data connections.

In a joint statement issued in Lagos on Friday, the coalition said preliminary information suggested that the problem was not limited to a single telecommunications provider, while some affected users reportedly regained access through virtual private networks (VPNs).

The groups, however, stressed that available information had not established whether the disruption was caused by a technical failure, network-routing problem, platform-side malfunction, traffic-management measure or deliberate restriction.

They expressed concern that no public explanation had so far established the cause of the reported disruption.

The coalition, comprising Accountability Lab Nigeria, Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Digital Africa Research and Safety Lab (DigiAfricaLab), DigiCivic Initiative, Gatefield, Hope Behind Bars Africa, Media Rights Agenda, Paradigm Initiative, RACE Africa, Spaces for Change, TechHerNG and TechSocietal, urged relevant authorities and service providers to urgently clarify the situation.

The organisations called on the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), affected state governments, telecommunications operators and TikTok to investigate the matter and publicly disclose their findings.

They further urged authorities to establish whether any government directive, request or order had affected TikTok access and, if so, disclose its legal basis, scope, duration and purpose.

The coalition also called for independent technical testing to determine whether the disruption involved DNS interference, IP or domain blocking, protocol interference, throttling, routing anomalies, application-specific filtering or other forms of network interference.

According to the organisations, such testing should also examine differences among mobile networks, fixed-line connections and geographical locations to help establish the nature and source of the disruption.

The CSOs argued that access to digital platforms has become increasingly important to communication, journalism, business, civic participation and public discourse, warning that unexplained disruptions could affect both the digital economy and access to information.

They urged telecommunications operators to provide timely information to consumers during major network disruptions, including details of the nature and extent of outages and expected restoration periods.

The coalition also asked TikTok to clarify whether it had identified technical problems affecting users in northern Nigeria or whether changes to its infrastructure, routing, content-delivery systems or service availability were responsible.

It cautioned against broad restrictions on VPN use merely because some affected users had employed the technology to regain access to TikTok.

The organisations further called for protection of users, journalists and researchers documenting the disruption, saying individuals should not be intimidated, harassed or penalised merely for reporting access difficulties or conducting legitimate network measurements.

They also urged the Federal Government and regulators to establish a national Internet disruption transparency protocol requiring prompt notification of significant disruptions, disclosure of their causes where technically established, identification of affected geographical areas and publication of restoration timelines.

The coalition said any legitimate national-security or public-order concerns involving online activity should be addressed through targeted and lawful measures rather than unexplained restrictions on an entire communications platform.

It urged the government and relevant agencies to engage civil society organisations, technical experts, academia, affected users and industry representatives in investigations into significant disruptions to digital platforms.

The groups further called for the publication of a comprehensive final investigation report detailing what happened, when and where it occurred, the networks affected, the technical cause, whether any government agency was involved, whether a legal directive was issued, remedial measures taken and steps to prevent a recurrence.

The coalition said it would continue monitoring reports from affected users and engaging relevant stakeholders as further evidence emerges.