Nigerian users of TikTok woke up on Monday to discover that the platform had quietly suspended access to its LIVE streaming feature during late-night hours. The temporary shutdown, which occurred between 11pm and 5am, was part of what TikTok described as an ongoing safety review of its Nigerian user environment.
The company communicated the decision through a system notification sent out around midnight. The alert informed creators that TikTok was “temporarily limiting LIVE late at night in Nigeria” to ensure the platform remained safe for everyone.
Many users who attempted to go LIVE during the restricted hours found the feature fully blocked. Even accounts that had previously hosted sessions successfully received a “No Access” message. The restriction also extended to viewing privileges—users in Nigeria could not watch LIVE streams from other countries either.
Only creators with 1,000 followers or more, the standard threshold for hosting a LIVE session, received the announcement. Several of them confirmed that all LIVE tools were completely shut down throughout the night.
Despite the disruption, TikTok assured creators that their existing earnings and LIVE gifting balances were untouched. This helped calm the initial fear that the late-night restriction might lead to loss of income, especially for creators who rely largely on nighttime engagement.
The suspension was lifted on Monday morning, immediately sparking online conversations as creators and viewers attempted to understand the reason behind the abrupt nationwide block. For many Nigerian streamers, the late-night window is their busiest period, attracting thousands of viewers to talk shows, match commentaries, interactive discussions, and entertainment segments that often generate the most virtual gifts.
This development comes shortly after TikTok released new statistics about its global and regional safety efforts. During the West Africa Safety Summit held in Dakar, Senegal, the platform shared extensive data from the second quarter of 2025, revealing a massive crackdown on policy violations. Within that period:
2,321,813 LIVE sessions were penalised globally
1,040,356 creators were sanctioned for breaking LIVE monetisation rules
In Nigeria alone, TikTok said it shut down 49,512 LIVE sessions for violating its guidelines.
The company also removed 3,780,426 videos posted in Nigeria between April and June 2025. According to TikTok, 98.7% of those videos were deleted before anyone could watch them, and 91.9% were taken down within 24 hours of being uploaded—an indication of the platform’s increasing focus on safety and rapid content moderation.
TikTok LIVE allows users to broadcast in real time, interact with viewers, and earn virtual gifts. To access the feature, users must meet certain requirements: being 16 years or older, having at least 1,000 followers, maintaining a clean account record, and tapping the “+” icon to start a live session. Those who want to earn money through gifts must be 18 or older.
Although TikTok has not given a timeline for completing its investigation, many Nigerian creators are watching closely, unsure whether more restrictions may follow.
