In a significant effort to improve digital safety, “TikTok” took down more than “3.6 million videos” in Nigeria between January and March 2025 for breaching its “Community Guidelines,” representing a 50 percent increase compared to the previous quarter.

This information came from TikTok’s “Q1 2025 Community Guidelines Enforcement Report,” which outlines the platform’s dedication to providing a secure and respectful environment for users and creators alike.

According to TikTok, 98.4 percent of these videos were detected proactively, and 92.1 percent were removed within 24 hours, setting a new benchmark for content moderation in Nigeria.

The company explained that despite the high figure, these videos make up only a small percentage of total Nigerian content, emphasizing the creativity and positive spirit within Nigeria’s TikTok community.

In March 2025 alone, TikTok also deactivated “129 covert accounts” in West Africa involved in misleading activities, shut down “42,196 LIVE rooms,” and ended “48,156 live streams” in Nigeria that went against its guidelines. On a global scale, TikTok removed more than “211 million videos” in Q1 2025, with 184 million of them flagged by its automated systems, achieving a 99 percent proactive detection rate worldwide.

To further support its community, TikTok organized the “My Kind of TikTok Digital Well-being Summit” in Africa this June, bringing together content creators, non-governmental organizations, and policy experts to address online safety and mental health.

One of the key outcomes of the summit was a partnership between TikTok and “Cece Yara,” a Nigerian non-profit focused on protecting children and supporting youth. This partnership will bring in-app helpline features to TikTok users in Nigeria, providing professional support on matters like “suicide prevention,” “self-harm,” “bullying,” and “hate speech.”

In the next few weeks, Nigerian users—particularly the younger demographic—will have direct access to these local helpline tools within the app, making it easier to get help when needed.

These recent developments by TikTok show the platform’s continued commitment to fostering a creative environment that is also safe and responsible for users in Nigeria.

Femi Adesina, who once served as presidential spokesperson, stated that former President Muhammadu Buhari might have passed away earlier if he had depended solely on healthcare facilities within Nigeria.

Buhari passed away on Sunday at a medical clinic in London, United Kingdom, after battling a prolonged illness.

He held office as Nigeria’s military ruler between 1983 and 1985, and later served as a civilian president from 2015 to 2023.

During his presidency, Buhari made multiple trips to London to receive medical attention, drawing criticism over the trend of public officials seeking healthcare abroad and the poor condition of local hospitals.

For example, Buhari returned to Nigeria on August 19, 2017, after spending 103 days in London for medical treatment.

While he was away, there were widespread rumors suggesting he had died in the UK.

Throughout his eight years in office, Buhari is estimated to have spent no fewer than 200 days in London for medical reasons.

In an interview aired during Channels Television’s broadcast of Buhari’s burial on Tuesday, Adesina mentioned that Nigeria did not have the necessary expertise to manage Buhari’s health issues.

He explained that Buhari had been receiving medical care in the United Kingdom even before becoming president.

Adesina also pointed out that critics of Buhari’s overseas medical visits should consider that he needed to stay alive to bring about reforms in his country.

He said Buhari regularly sought treatment in London, even before assuming office, and it wasn’t something he started only after becoming president.

Adesina explained that to bring about changes in Nigeria’s healthcare system, one first had to be alive, and Buhari’s choice to seek care abroad was about survival, not showmanship.

He added that if Buhari had insisted on receiving treatment in Nigeria just to make a point, he might not have survived due to the country’s limited medical capacity.

According to Adesina, Buhari needed to remain alive in order to lead Nigeria toward developing the kind of medical expertise necessary to handle such conditions locally.

President of the Dangote Group, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, has revealed his intention to slash the cost of Liquefied Petroleum Gas, also known as cooking gas. He further stated that if current distributors resist the price reduction, he will begin selling directly to consumers.

Industry players, however, have opposed the proposal, accusing Dangote of attempting to dominate the LPG market. They voiced their concerns on Monday, fearing the possibility of monopolistic control.

During a recent inspection of his refinery by both local and international visitors, Dangote pointed out that the current cost of cooking gas is too high and beyond the reach of ordinary Nigerians who rely on firewood.

He mentioned that the refinery is now capable of producing 22,000 tonnes of LPG daily, and efforts are underway to increase output for local distribution, especially as more Nigerians adopt gas for cooking.

Addressing members of the Lagos Business School CGEO Africa at his Lekki refinery, Dangote stated, “The one that we didn’t write, which you must have seen, is LPG. Currently, we do LPG of about 2,000 tonnes per day. You know Nigeria is gradually moving to the usage of LPG. But I believe it is expensive, but right now we’re trying to bring down the price and make it cheaper.”

Dangote cautioned that “if the distributors are not trying to bring it down, we’ll go directly and sell to the consumers, so that people will now transit from firewood or kerosene to LPG for cooking.”

It was earlier reported that Dangote plans to begin nationwide direct distribution of petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel in August, using 4,000 CNG-powered buses.

At present, cooking gas sells for between N1,000 and N1,300 per kilogramme. Dangote aims to reduce this to make it more accessible.

Operators kick

LPG market stakeholders appear displeased with Dangote’s plan to shake up the sector.

In an interview with our correspondent, the former Chairman of the LPG and Natural Gas Downstream Group of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Godwin Okoduwa, labelled the move monopolistic.

Okoduwa stressed that Dangote must acknowledge the efforts of investors who expanded the LPG market from 70,000 metric tonnes in 2007 to over 1 million metric tonnes by 2022. He emphasized the importance of cooperation.

“I think it’s monopolistic. I think a market should be protected to encourage growth. The LPG industry in Nigeria grew from 70,000 metric tonnes in 2007 to over 1.3 million tonnes in 2022. That was done by collaboration — collaboration with the Federal Government, the NLNG, and offtakers. Everything was done in collaboration. It grew from 70,000 to 250 to 800, and now over a million,” Okoduwa said.

He argued that monopoly cannot drive growth, but collaboration can. “Today, we are just under 5kg or 6kg per capita consumption in terms of LPG. Other countries are doing much more. South Africa is doing double digits, Morocco and Tunisia are doing double digits. We can do much more.

“So, we should, as an industry and as a country, focus on how to grow the LPG industry and not allow someone (to frustrate the players). Yes, he has invested; yes, it’s a capital economy, but he should not be allowed to frustrate the players.

“There are people who have spent money, spent resources, even business and development, and someone just comes in to reap from the work that has been done. I’m sure he wouldn’t have built if there had not been an existing market. The work has been done, he should respect the market and let us grow. It shouldn’t be a zero-sum strategy. It should be collaborative,” he said.

He recommended that despite having a significant advantage, Dangote should pursue collaboration.

“My advice to him is that the pie can be bigger. The Nigerian market is about 1.3 million tonnes. The Nigerian LPG market can be 5 million tonnes. He should work towards collaboration rather than competition, because at the end of the day, everybody benefits,” he added.

When told that Dangote’s main goal is to lower gas prices so everyone can afford it and reduce firewood use, Okoduwa responded, “I have news for him. He should go to the Northeast, where you have the least consumption of LPG. He should go to the Northeast and start developing the LPG infrastructure there. I think we will tell him thank you for that.”

In a similar vein, the Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Association of Liquefied Petroleum Gas Marketers, Bassey Essien, expressed doubt about Dangote’s ability to sell gas directly to consumers or significantly reduce prices.

“I am saying that it’s unrealistic. What is the position with PMS? Has the refinery been able to sell petrol directly to you and me into our cars at a very cheap rate?” Essien asked.