Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have they made of the implications for free speech in Nigeria following the decision of the Nigerian government to ban the use of Twitter in that country.

We are concerned that the Nigerian Government has suspended Twitter in Nigeria. In response, the Minister for Africa publicly reiterated the importance of all Nigerians being able to enjoy their right to freedom of expression responsibly. Our High Commission in Abuja and likeminded countries issued a statement conveying disappointment over the suspension and affirming our strong support for freedom of expression. On 7 June, our Acting Head of Mission in Abuja, Gill Atkinson, along with senior representatives from likeminded diplomatic missions, met the Nigerian Foreign Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, to discuss the suspension and statement, and to reiterate our position. We urged the Nigerian Government to continue dialogue with Twitter to resolve this issue. Freedom of expression and the media are essential elements of a democracy.