TikTok imposed a sudden overnight restriction on its LIVE feature across Nigeria, blocking all users from hosting or watching streams between 11 PM and 5 AM local time. The blackout began at midnight on Sunday, December 7, 2025, and was lifted by Monday morning. When creators tried to go live during those hours, they were met with a simple “No Access” message, and even viewing international streams became impossible for Nigerian accounts. The platform sent an in-app notification to everyone eligible to go live (those with at least 1,000 followers) 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.” TikTok stressed that existing gift balances and past earnings were untouched, but the timing hit hard because late-night hours are when most Nigerian creators make the bulk of their money through virtual gifts. The reason behind the move is straightforward, though TikTok has stayed quiet in public statements beyond the notification. Nigeria has been one of the worst offenders globally for LIVE guideline violations, especially sexual content. In the second quarter of 2025 alone, TikTok banned more than 49,000 live sessions in the country and removed close to four million videos for breaking community rules. Many of those banned streams involved creators performing explicit acts in exchange for gifts or direct payments, a practice that had spiraled out of control during the late-night window when moderation teams are thinner and audiences are most active. By Monday morning, everything was back to normal. Creators could go live again, viewers could tune in, and the incident quickly turned into one of the biggest talking points on Nigerian Twitter. Reactions poured in all day: some creators panicked about lost income and rushed to buy VPNs (which worked for a few), others complained that TikTok treats African users more harshly than creators elsewhere, and a significant number actually welcomed the crackdown, saying the platform had become too wild after midnight, with soft-porn battles and outright prostitution disguised as “PK” (player-kill) competitions dominating the trending page. The restriction appears to have been a test run or an emergency measure rather than the start of a permanent curfew. TikTok has used similar short, sharp overnight blocks in other markets when violations spike, and this one lasted exactly six hours before access was restored nationwide. Still, the episode has left many Nigerian creators nervous. Late-night live is their prime time; for some it’s literally how they pay rent. A repeat of the blackout, especially if it becomes regular or permanent, would push a lot of them to Instagram, YouTube, or smaller local platforms. For now, the message from TikTok seems clear: clean up the overnight content or risk losing the hours that matter most. Whether creators adapt or the platform is forced to bring the hammer down again remains to be seen.
From Midnight Gifts to “No Access”: TikTok’s Sudden Overnight LIVE Ban Hits Nigeria
