On the 9th of June, 2017, Nigeria officially joined the league of countries with their own Twitter account. The official handle is @Nigeria and the first tweet posted reads:
Welcome to the Twitter handle for the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Africa's largest economy, and most populous country.
— Nigeria (@Nigeria) June 9, 2017
Other countries with their verified Twitter accounts include Canada, Israel, Ireland, Sweden and Great Britain.
As at the time of writing this piece, 1.20p.m, it had over 12,800 followers. The debut header photo shows Flying Girls, an installation by Peju Alatise—currently on exhibition at Nigeria’s Pavilion at @la_Biennale
Subsequent tweets state the objective of the Twitter account; “This handle will showcase Nigeria’s culture and context; voices, views and visions; and sights, sounds and spaces. Welcome to the journey.”
“This page will share inspiring Nigerian stories from home and abroad: in the arts, sports, business, science & tech, etc.”
“It will vigorously promote Nigerian Talent and Innovation; highlight Nigerians pushing the envelope / breaking barriers in various fields.”
“It will promote Nigerian cultures, brands and innovators, and seek to tell the Nigerian Story/ies in interesting and refreshing ways.”
Other countries with verified accounts have sent their congratulatory tweets. See some of the tweets below:
Welcome @nigeria !! https://t.co/WwJ6ZUVNZ4
— @sweden (@sweden) June 10, 2017
Welcome to the club, dear @Nigeria – Happy tweeting!
https://t.co/mmTWcXCuJl
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) June 10, 2017
Hey @Nigeria! Welcome to the brave new world of twiplomacy! Looking forward to reading interesting insights about your country
https://t.co/1PGUPhfjlm
— Ukraine / Україна (@Ukraine) June 11, 2017
