CSOs demand probe of TikTok blackout in Northern Nigeria

A coalition of 12 civil society organisations (CSOs) has called on the federal government, telecom regulators, and TikTok to address an unexplained disruption affecting the social media platform in parts of northern Nigeria.

In a joint press statement, the coalition raised alarms over a “multi-week digital blackout” that began as intermittent access difficulties around 14 September.

The outage has primarily impacted users in Kaduna, Kebbi, Kano, and Sokoto states.

Preliminary investigations by the groups reveal that millions of citizens reliant on the platform for their livelihoods are struggling to load contents, view videos, or upload media via standard mobile data connections.

The coalition noted that the issue spans multiple internet service providers, with access currently only guaranteed for users bypassing the network via Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).

Despite over two weeks of disruption, no official cause has been established by platform operators or government authorities, the group lamented, demanding an explanation.

“Unexplained social media disruptions not only undermine democracy but also truncate the local economy,” the coalition stated, expressing grave concern over the continued institutional silence surrounding the situation.

To resolve the impasse and restore public trust, the coalition—which includes Paradigm Initiative, Media Rights Agenda (MRA), Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), and Spaces for Change, among others—outlined several key recommendations.

Investigate and publicly disclose causes

It urged the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), and affected state governments to collaboratively investigate the blackout and publish their findings.

If the disruption is an intentional block, it said the authorities must immediately halt any throttling or restriction that lacks a clear legal foundation, strictly adhering to Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) regarding freedom of expression.

Should any official order or directive exist regarding TikTok’s access, its legal basis, scope, and duration must be disclosed to the public, the group said.

It added that mobile operators should be required to issue timely outage notifications to consumers.

The NCC was urged to conduct independent technical testing to check for DNS interference, IP blocking, or network filtering.

Require Action from TikTok

The group demanded that the platform itself clarify whether technical glitches or infrastructure changes on its end are responsible for the outages in northern Nigeria.

Authorities were advised against penalising citizens, journalists, or researchers documenting the outage, and urged not to implement overly broad restrictions on VPN usage.

The coalition called for the implementation of a national Internet disruption transparency protocol and requested that the NCC publish a comprehensive final report outlining the cause, government involvement (if any), and remedial measures taken.

“The reported disruption to TikTok access in parts of northern Nigeria warrants prompt, transparent, and independent investigation,” the coalition concluded, committing to monitor the situation continuously as further evidence becomes available.