TikTok has temporarily restricted access to its LIVE feature for users in Nigeria during late-night hours, the company revealed through an in-app notice to creators, citing an ongoing safety investigation.
At midnight Nigerian time on Sunday, users received a system notification stating: “LIVE⚫ Notices
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 PUNCH reported that the LIVE sessions, which were accessible earlier in the evening, became unavailable between 11pm and 5am, with affected accounts displaying a “No Access” label.
The restriction also prevented users from watching LIVE broadcasts from other countries.
The notification was sent only to creators with at least 1,000 followers, the minimum threshold required to host a LIVE session. Several creators confirmed that all LIVE activities had been paused overnight.
Despite the temporary halt, creators who earn through LIVE gifting retained their balances and previous earnings, alleviating fears of financial loss.
By Monday morning, LIVE access had been restored, prompting discussions on social media as users speculated on the reasons behind the sudden nationwide limitation.
Night-time hours are usually peak streaming periods for Nigerian creators, who host interactive sessions including games, entertainment segments, trends, and other live content that attract viewers and virtual gifts.
This restriction comes weeks after TikTok shared updated safety statistics for West Africa.
At its West Africa Safety Summit in Dakar, Senegal, the company revealed that in Q2 2025, it took action against 2,321,813 LIVE sessions and 1,040,356 LIVE creators worldwide 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% of content taken down before being viewed and 91.9% removed within 24 hours.
The TikTok LIVE feature allows users to broadcast in real-time, offering direct engagement with viewers via comments and virtual gifts. Unlike pre-recorded videos, LIVE creates an interactive experience for Q&As, talent showcases, or casual conversations.
To start a LIVE session, users generally need over 1,000 followers (sometimes fewer), be at least 16 years old (18 to earn money), maintain a clean account, and use the ‘+’ button to select ‘LIVE’, adding a title and effects before broadcasting.
