TikTok has imposed a temporary ban on late-night LIVE streaming in Nigeria as the company intensifies efforts to curb rising cases of sexual misconduct during broadcasts.
In a brief notice issued on Sunday, the platform said: “TikTok LIVE Update in Nigeria
We’re temporarily limiting LIVE late at night in Nigeria as part of our investigation to ensure our platform remains safe and our community stays protected.”
The restriction follows months of concern over creators hosting late-night sessions where viewers are encouraged to engage in sexually explicit acts.
Numerous scenarios have shown Nigerian content creators urging visitors to take off their clothes or perform other lewd acts, sometimes in exchange for gifts or financial gain.
Tik Tok’s move also follows new enforcement figures shared at TikTok’s West Africa Safety Summit in Dakar, Senegal.
The company said it issued warnings and demonetisation penalties to more than 2.3 million LIVE sessions and over one million creators in the second quarter of 2025 for violating its LIVE monetisation rules.
During the same period, TikTok banned 49,512 Nigerian LIVE sessions, placing the country among its highest enforcement markets.
With the new limitation, Nigerian users will not be able to host or watch LIVE sessions late at night, a period TikTok says is most associated with the surge in sexualised content.
The company said the measure is temporary and part of a broader review of safety practices in Nigeria.
TikTok has applied similar restrictions in other regions facing outbreaks of policy-violating livestreams.
Reactions have been mixed. Some users believe the action is necessary to curb inappropriate content, while others say the move will hurt creators who rely on nighttime traffic for income.
Others still argue that TikTok has had unfair practice towards the African continent including disparities and difficulties in pay for their content compared to their counterparts. They say this move is yet another handicap being placed on them.
It’s unclear what TikTok’s move may yield following the temporary ban.
