American microblogging and social media network service, Twitter, has announced its Africa operations with the establishment of its continental headquarters in Ghana.
“Twitter is now present on the continent. Thank you, Ghana and Nana Akufo-Addo,” Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey, had announced via a tweet.
In a statement announcing its presence in Africa, Twitter said, “… 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.”
Twitter also announced openings for a number of jobs ranging from product, design, engineering, marketing and communications specialists. Full details on current job openings can be found on the Twitter Careers site. The company says it looks forward to welcoming and onboarding new team members remotely.
Ghanaian President, Nana Akufo-Addo, expressed excitement at the news, saying, “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.”
On why it chose Ghana, Twitter says, “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.”
Many Nigerians on social media have, however, blamed the Nigerian Government for Twitter’s decision to situate its Africa office in Ghana and not Nigeria. They accuse the government of creating an unfriendly business climate in the country.