Ofure Akhigbe
On Sunday, December 7, 2025, Nigerian TikTok users experienced a temporary restriction on LIVE sessions, with accounts unable to host or view broadcasts between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. local time. Affected users reported seeing a “No Access” label, while creators with at least 1,000 followers—the minimum required to host LIVE sessions—received notifications about the restriction.
Several creators confirmed that all LIVE activities were halted overnight. However, those earning through LIVE gifting were unaffected financially, with balances and previous earnings remaining intact. Access was restored by Monday morning, sparking discussions on social media as users speculated about the sudden nationwide disruption. Night-time hours are typically peak periods for Nigerian streamers, who use LIVE to host matches, entertainment segments, trends, and other interactive sessions that attract viewers and virtual gifts.
The development follows TikTok’s recent West Africa Safety Summit in Dakar, Senegal, where the company released updated safety statistics for the region. In the second quarter of 2025, TikTok took action against 2,321,813 LIVE sessions and 1,040,356 LIVE creators globally for violating its LIVE monetisation guidelines. In Nigeria alone, 49,512 LIVE sessions were banned during the same period.
TikTok also reported removing 3,780,426 videos in Nigeria between April and June 2025 for breaching Community Guidelines, with 98.7% taken down before being viewed and 91.9% removed within 24 hours.
TikTok LIVE allows users to broadcast in real-time, engaging viewers through comments and virtual gifts, unlike pre-recorded videos. To go LIVE, users generally need at least 1,000 followers (sometimes less), be at least 16 years old (18 to earn money), maintain a clean account, and use the in-app ‘+’ button to select ‘LIVE’, adding a title and effects before starting.