CSOs Demand Investigation Into TikTok Disruption in Northern Nigeria
By Temilade Aloko
IBADAN, October 2, 2026 — A coalition of civil society organisations has called for an urgent investigation into an unexplained disruption affecting access to TikTok in parts of northern Nigeria.
The organisations said users in Kaduna, Kebbi, Kano and Sokoto had reported difficulties accessing the platform since around September 14, including problems loading videos and uploading content through regular mobile-data connections.
In a joint statement, the groups said their preliminary investigation had not established whether the disruption was caused by a technical failure, network-routing problem, platform malfunction, traffic-management measure or an intentional restriction.
They called on the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), telecommunications operators and TikTok to investigate the matter and publicly disclose the cause.
The coalition also urged the NCC to conduct independent technical testing to determine whether the disruption involves network-routing problems, DNS interference, blocking, throttling or other forms of network-level interference.
The organisations said any intentional restriction of access to TikTok should have a clear legal basis and comply with applicable human-rights standards, including protections for freedom of expression and access to information.
They further called on TikTok and telecommunications operators to provide timely information to affected users and urged authorities to protect journalists, researchers and citizens documenting internet disruptions.
The coalition said it would continue monitoring reports from affected users and engaging relevant stakeholders until the cause of the disruption is established.
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