TikTok has temporarily blocked access to its LIVE feature for users in Nigeria during late-night hours. The platform sent an in-app notice to creators, saying the move is part of an ongoing safety investigation.
Around midnight on Sunday, users received a system message that read:
“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.”
Accoding to the Punch, the LIVE feature, which worked earlier in the night, went off between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. During those hours, affected accounts showed a “No Access” label. Users were also unable to watch LIVE streams from other countries.
Only creators with at least 1,000 followers — the minimum needed to host a LIVE — received the notification, and many confirmed that all LIVE activities were shut down overnight.
However, TikTok said creators’ previous earnings and LIVE balances remain safe, easing fears of financial loss.
By Monday morning, LIVE access had returned. The sudden restriction has sparked conversations online as users try to understand what led to the nationwide block.
Late-night hours are usually the busiest for Nigerian TikTok creators who host match reactions, entertainment shows, trends, and other interactive sessions that attract viewers and virtual gifts.
The development comes a few weeks after TikTok released new safety data for West Africa. At the company’s West Africa Safety Summit in Dakar, Senegal, TikTok revealed that in the second quarter of 2025, it took action against 2,321,813 LIVE sessions and 1,040,356 LIVE creators globally for breaking LIVE monetisation rules.
In Nigeria alone, 49,512 LIVE sessions were banned during the same period.
TikTok also said it removed 3,780,426 videos from Nigeria between April and June 2025 for violating Community Guidelines. Of these, 98.7% were taken down before anyone viewed them, and 91.9% were removed within 24 hours.
TikTok LIVE allows users to broadcast in real time, talk directly to viewers, and receive virtual gifts. To go LIVE, a user generally needs at least 1,000 followers, must be 16 or older (18 to earn money), have no major violations, and start a session through the “+” button.
