Microblogging platform Twitter announced on Monday that it had a presence in Africa, forming its team in Ghana, stirring debates on the app.
In its announcement, Twitter explained that it was establishing its presence in Africa to “truly serve the public conversation.”
It added that to do that, it needed to embed itself in African soil to “be more immersed in the rich and vibrant communities that drive the conversations taking place every day across the African continent.”
The statement on its website stated that it was seeking specialists to form a part of its budding team across a scope of competencies.
Successful candidates would be required to work from home as part of Twitter’s work from home policies.
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Why Twitter Chose Ghana
Nigerians on Twitter were thrown into discussions regarding the reason why Ghana was Twitter’s foremost option to open shop.
Many users cited various reasons including policies enacted by the current administration impacting the survival of businesses in the Nigerian environment.
But Twitter, in its statement, explained factors that influenced its decision.
The platform highlighted Ghana’s support “of free speech” and “online freedom” and “the Open Internet”, which align with its philosophy.
It also noted 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 Nigeria Initiative (MANI) in Nigeria, and The HackLab Foundation in Ghana.
“As part of our long-term commitment to the region, we’ll continue to explore compelling ways we can use the positive power of Twitter to strengthen our communities through employee engagement, platform activation, and corporate giving.
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“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.”
In response, Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo said, “The choice of Ghana as HQ for Twitter’s Africa operations is excellent news. Government and Ghanaians welcome very much this announcement and the confidence reposed in our country.”
