Nigeria is an ethnically diverse country with many rich cultures. With the rise of the internet an increasing amount of Nigerian people are now confronted with an increasing amount of information as well. The government’s approach to handling this sudden change however, is quite conservative. In fact, we would like to agree with Barakat Akinsiku, who asserts that “in Nigeria, close monitoring of the arts and literary scenes by authorities dates back to military rule.” Therefore, in some shape or form, the past of Nigeria still lingers online as well. From the perspective of internet freedom, this is bad news. This article is about outlining what are the traits of Nigeria’s internet and in the light of that knowledge we are going to recommend you three VPN companies that offer a solution for the country’s internet restrictions.
Nigeria, both as a country and as a mass of people, are somewhat still getting used to the vastness of the internet. There are quite a few exceptions of course, and then again, we could argue that the internet itself is still a very new phenomenon. There is no single reason for the online restrictions of Nigeria. Religious differences, cultural sensitivity (and insensitivity), the aim of political gain, history and more all play a part in the nature of the Nigerian online domain today. Still, if you do happen to use a Nigerian IP address to connect to the internet, you can get at least a grasp of the diverse and complicated workings of Nigeria more efficiently than otherwise. In our opinion, connecting to Nigeria is most beneficial if you are interested in local online content.
Most of Nigerian internet is regulated by the government. However, we are happy to report that VPN providers are not banned in the country, and therefore you can take advantage of getting a more free internet access by becoming a customer of a related company. Broadcasting media outlets are controlled by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) in Nigeria. They have the power by law to prevent news from being published. Furthermore, the broadcasting of any foreign media product is limited in the country.
As mentioned before, there is an aftertaste of military rule that also has a flavor in the Nigerian internet. And that flavor is of military strictness. Many forms of art, including film, the so-called high arts and more recently even literature have come under pressure from the government. Speaking of which, content that is deemed to insult or criticize the leading body of Nigeria is similarly prosecuted. The press practices self-censorship. Women’s rights are not really the best, to put it mildly in Nigeria. Thus, online content that promotes this or seeks the mere betterment of females is not all that welcome. This is also emphasized by the fact that the country hosts a sizable amount of people that follow the Islam, where women are indeed perceived as inferiors.
Streaming availability in Nigeria is not the best. Though this is to be expected if you think about the restrictive nature of the country’s internet, there are still some companies that are present and are active. Apple Music is one of them; in fact, they are one of the most prominent online music platforms in Nigeria. Another one is the government’s own competition, called ORIN. For film and moving pictures, there is also a lack of companies that are mostly associated with the “western” world. Netflix is not to be found here; the entire African continent is free of the company’s influence.
Instead, Nigeria’s film industry is on the rise, having become the second biggest in the world; it has often been dubbed as Nollywood. A number of websites supply the content of the industry than is produced in the thousands every year. Streamers such as iROKOtv, Ibakatv, Nollywoodone, Tvnolly, Watchnigerianmoviesonline and Nollywood Pictures TV are some examples. Overall, while foreign availability is poor, locally made media products are endorsed to a great extent and this is apparent online, with similarly good local availability.
Nigeria is a great country to connect to if you are looking for content made inside the country. However, if you are interested in arts or information that goes beyond the surface, this is not the country for you. If your aim is accessing a more free internet from Nigeria, we would rather recommend VPN providers to connect to countries that actually have less shadows cast over them online. Because of these, we will now advise you on three VPN providers that fir Nigeria.
First, we would like to recommend Private Internet Access. This company offers a built-in kill switch with your purchase. In case you encounter a problem that would endanger your VPN, this tool will automatically disconnect you, to keep you safe. Apart from this, you are greeted with low prices and a 7-day money back guarantee.
Secondly, please read a bit about IPVanish. Hailed as one of the best on the market, they are put up so high because they do not have anything “special” to offer. This means that while other companies have one unique trait to them, IPVanish excels in every field of service. A good number of countries to connect to, stellar customer service and reasonable prices await you.
Lastly, why not give ExpressVPN a spin? Be careful though, you are about to meet the provider that probably spins the fastest today. ExpressVPN does have its price, but you get excellent speeds in return, with many countries to visit besides Nigeria. You truly have to experience yourself to get a grasp of this company, they are definitely worth a look. (Edit)
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