By our Reporter
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate major global technology companies and Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms over allegations of anti-competitive practices and the unlawful use of news content belonging to Nigerian media organisations.
The directive followed a joint petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), an umbrella body comprising 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’s directive was conveyed to the FCCPC through a letter signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
According to the petition, major technology firms, including Meta, Alphabet, X (formerly Twitter), and some Generative AI platforms, are alleged to have engaged in practices capable of undermining fair competition, threatening the commercial viability of Nigerian media organisations and infringing on the rights of content creators and publishers.
Confirming the development, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Tunji Bello, said the Commission would conduct an independent, transparent and evidence-based investigation into the allegations.
“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,” Bello said.
He stressed that the investigation should not be interpreted as a presumption of wrongdoing against any organisation.
“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,” he added.
The Commission said it would examine whether the alleged practices violate the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 or any other applicable Nigerian law.
Among the issues to be investigated are allegations of abuse of market dominance, anti-competitive conduct, unauthorised extraction and commercial use of copyrighted news content for the development and training of Generative AI models, as well as claims that Nigerian media organisations have been denied fair compensation for the use of their journalistic content.
The FCCPC noted that the investigation comes amid growing concerns within the Nigerian media industry over the impact of global digital platforms on the sustainability of local news organisations.
The Commission recalled that it had previously investigated Meta and, in 2025, secured a landmark judgment against the technology company over alleged violations of the FCCPA, including data privacy breaches, resulting in a $220 million fine. Meta has since appealed the judgment.
The planned investigation is expected to be a landmark inquiry into the relationship between global technology companies and Nigeria’s media industry.
A similar investigation by South Africa’s Competition Commission previously resulted in an agreement under which Google committed to compensate South African news media with 688 million rand (about $40 million) annually for between three and five years.
