President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate major global technology companies, including Meta, Alphabet (Google), X and selected generative artificial intelligence platforms, over allegations of anti-competitive practices and the alleged exploitation of Nigerian media content.
The investigation follows a petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), which represents the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) and the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP). The Federal Government subsequently instructed the FCCPC to examine the claims and determine whether any laws have been violated.
According to Brandspur Politics, the Commission said the inquiry is intended to establish the facts through an independent and evidence-based process rather than presume wrongdoing by any company. It stressed that all affected organisations will have the opportunity to present relevant information before any conclusions are reached.
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The FCCPC said its investigation will assess whether the conduct of the companies amounts to violations of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 or any other applicable Nigerian law. The regulator explained that the exercise is aimed at ensuring fair competition within Nigeria’s digital economy while safeguarding the country’s media ecosystem.
Among the issues under review are allegations that some technology companies have abused dominant market positions, improperly extracted or commercially used copyrighted news reports and broadcast materials to develop and train generative AI systems, and failed to negotiate fair commercial agreements with Nigerian news publishers for the use of their journalistic content.
The Commission noted that concerns have grown within Nigeria’s media industry over the increasing influence of large digital platforms on the sustainability of local journalism and the commercial viability of news organisations. It added that the investigation seeks to determine whether these concerns have translated into conduct that distorts competition or undermines the rights of content creators and publishers.
The FCCPC also referenced developments in South Africa, where negotiations between technology companies and media organisations, following regulatory intervention, resulted in Google agreeing to provide annual financial support worth approximately R688 million (about $40 million) to South African news publishers for a period of three to five years.
The latest investigation comes after the FCCPC secured a landmark judgment against Meta in 2025 over breaches of Nigeria’s consumer protection law, including data privacy-related violations, resulting in a $220 million fine. Meta has appealed that decision. The outcome of the new inquiry could shape future regulation of digital platforms, AI companies and news content licensing in Nigeria while influencing how global technology firms engage with local media organisations.
