By 
By Nwakaego Alajemba
There is an unprecedented upsurge in app download of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) by Nigeria internet users, IT Edge News can report based on observations of experts monitoring Nigeria’s Twitter ban.
A VPN extends a private network across a public network and enables users to send and receive data across shared or public networks as if their computing devices were directly connected to the private network. It makes the user anonymous.
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Since the ban became effective early hours of this morning, nearly a million VPN download traffic has been carried out on IoS and Android smartphones, one expert told IT Edge News in Lagos. This would mean that the ban will be not so effective, notably among the mulish digital breed government may be targeting to shut down.
Google Trends and other similar sites indicate a huge rise in searches related to VPNs across the country since yesterday.
There is no complete internet shutdown in Nigeria and it means millions of people can still leverage VPN service to access restricted sites.
The Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has confirmed that its members have been instructed by the country’s telecom regulator to suspend access to Twitter. ALTON is the umbrella body for all mobile network operators (MNOs) in Nigeria.
With the Twitter ban in Nigeria, Internet Service Providers (ISPs), majorly MNOs, are now under obligation to deny access to Nigerian account users of the platform by blocking Twitter’s IP addresses. They could also delete the site from their Domain Name System (DNS) servers meaning that when Nigerian users try to connect to Twitter they will be told the site does not exist.
A VPN allows you to bypass these walls and make it possible to access Twitter services as if you are connecting to Twitter from another country.
The VPN alters your IP address, provides you a new IP address of any country of your choice as it allows you to choose a new country location where there is no restriction and usually in excess of 100 locations. Once logged in, you are good and running seamlessly.
VPNs are popular in countries with a number of restrictions. In UAE for example, Whatsapp audio or video calls are not allowed. But visitors frequenty use VPN to bypass the restrictions.
The Nigerian government on Friday announced the suspension of Twitter’s operation in Nigeria and also directed the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to immediately commence the process of licensing all over-the-top (OTT) and social media operators in Nigeria.
Government accused the mivro blogging site of allowing its platform to be used in a way that underimes Nigeria’s national security.
