Twitter shuns Nigeria, selects Ghana for Africa presence

Twitter has selected Ghana for the establishment of its presence in Africa.

The social media company announced this on Monday in a statement on its website.

Nigeria, Africa’s biggest economy and most populous country, is Twitter’s biggest market on the continent.

“Today, in line with our growth strategy, we’re excited to announce that we are now actively building a team in Ghana. To truly serve the public conversation, we must be more immersed in the rich and vibrant communities that drive the conversations taking place every day across the African continent,” it said.

Twitter said it is looking for specialists to join several teams including product, design, engineering, marketing and communications.

On why it chose Ghana, it said, “As a champion for democracy, Ghana is a supporter of free speech, online freedom, and the Open Internet, of which Twitter is also an advocate. Furthermore, Ghana’s recent appointment to host the Secretariat of the African Continental Free Trade Area aligns with our overarching goal to establish a presence in the region that will support our efforts to improve and tailor our service across Africa. 

“Whenever we enter new markets, we work hard to ensure that we are not just investing in the talent that we hire, but also investing in local communities and the social fabric that supports them. We have already laid foundations through partnerships with Amref Health Africa in Kenya, Afrochella in Ghana, Mentally Aware Nigerian Initiative in Nigeria, and The HackLab Foundation in Ghana.”

Twitter said as part of its long-term commitment to the region, it would continue to explore compelling ways it can use the positive power of Twitter to strengthen its communities through employee engagement, platform activation, and corporate giving. 

“We still have much to learn but we are excited to listen, learn, and engage. Public conversation is essential to solving problems, building shared ideas, and pushing us all forward together. We can’t wait for the next step on that journey,” it added.

The President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo, said on Twitter, “The choice of Ghana as headquarters for Twitter’s Africa operations is EXCELLENT news. Government and Ghanaians welcome very much this announcement and the confidence reposed in our country. These are exciting times to be in, and to do business in Ghana.”