One of the largest online forums in Africa, Nairaland, is currently facing an extended downtime, leaving its millions of users without access.

The founder and CEO, Seun Osewa, took to Twitter on Tuesday, to announce the unexpected outage.

In the initial tweet, Osewa hinted at potential technical difficulties, stating, “Nairaland isn’t coming back today……. I’m begging them. Even tomorrow is not sure.”

Subsequently, he provided more insights into the cause of the downtime, revealing that an “abuse report” sent by the hosting company on December 14, 2023, was overlooked.

Osewa explained, “Nairaland’s server was taken down because I overlooked an abuse report that was originally sent on the 14th. After the takedown, I removed the offensive content.”

Osewa expressed frustration, sharing a response from the hosting provider that indicated only the abuse team had the authority to reinstate the server, with a review period that could extend up to 48 hours.

He stated, “I’ve been informed that the only thing I can do is wait. It’s humbling.”

Osewa sought input from the community, stating, “If you have any ideas for working with abuse teams, please share. My track record is abysmal.”

Nairaland, often regarded as Nigeria’s version of Reddit, serves as a hub for diverse discussions, covering topics ranging from politics to entertainment. Established in 2005, it has become a significant online platform in Nigeria.

Nairaland's server was taken down because I overlooked an abuse report that was originally sent on the 14th. After the takedown, I removed the offensive content.

The UI for bringing back the server didn't work so it took hours to get support on how to get that done. Minutes…

— Seun Osewa 🇳🇬 (@seunosewa) December 19, 2023