President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to investigate global technology firms, including Meta, Alphabet, X and several Generative Artificial Intelligence platforms, over allegations of anti-competitive practices and the unauthorised use of content belonging to Nigerian media organisations.
The directive followed a petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation, an umbrella body comprising the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria and the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers.
The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, conveyed the President’s directive to the FCCPC, mandating the commission to examine complaints that the operations of the digital platforms pose a threat to the sustainability of Nigeria’s media industry.
According to the government, the investigation will focus on allegations that the technology companies have engaged in practices capable of undermining fair competition, weakening the commercial viability of Nigerian media organisations and violating the rights of content creators and publishers.
Among the key issues to be investigated are claims of market dominance, anti-competitive conduct and the unauthorised extraction, scraping, ingestion and commercial use of copyrighted news reports, broadcast materials and other journalistic works for the development and training of Generative AI models.
The commission will also examine allegations that Nigerian media organisations have been denied fair commercial opportunities and adequate compensation for the use of their content by global digital platforms.
Reacting to the directive, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Tunji Bello, assured stakeholders that the investigation would be conducted independently, transparently and strictly on the basis of available evidence.
Bello said the inquiry should not be interpreted as an indication that any of the companies had been found guilty of wrongdoing.
He said, “We recognise the strategic importance of the media to Nigeria’s democracy and the equally significant role of technology in driving innovation and economic growth. Our responsibility is to objectively determine the facts and ensure that competition within the digital ecosystem remains fair, transparent and consistent with Nigerian law.”
He added, “This inquiry is not directed at any entity by presumption of wrongdoing. Rather, it is an opportunity to carefully examine the facts, hear from all affected parties and determine whether any conduct has resulted in anti-competitive outcomes or unfair business practices.”
According to Bello, all affected parties would be given the opportunity to present relevant information before any regulatory decision is taken.
The FCCPC said the investigation would determine whether the alleged practices contravene the provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 or any other applicable Nigerian law.
The commission recalled that it secured a landmark judgment against Meta in 2025 over violations of the FCCPA, including data privacy breaches, which resulted in a $220 million fine. Meta has appealed the decision.
The commission also cited developments in South Africa, where Google agreed to compensate news organisations with about R688 million (approximately $40 million) annually for between three and five years following an investigation by the South African Competition Commission into the relationship between digital platforms and local media..
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