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 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, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria and the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers.
The Federal Government’s decision was conveyed to the FCCPC through a letter signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
The investigation will focus on the activities of major technology firms, including Meta, Alphabet Inc., X Corp., as well as Generative AI platforms operating in Nigeria.
According to the petition, the organisations allege that the companies engage in practices capable of undermining fair competition, threatening the commercial sustainability of Nigerian media organisations and infringing on the rights of content creators and publishers.
Reacting to the directive, FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Tunji Bello, assured stakeholders that the Commission would conduct an independent, transparent and evidence-based investigation.
“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 inquiry should not be interpreted as a presumption of wrongdoing against any company.
“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 determine whether the alleged practices violate the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 or any other applicable law.
Among the issues under investigation are allegations of market dominance and anti-competitive conduct, the unauthorised scraping, extraction and commercial use of copyrighted news content to develop and train Generative AI models, as well as claims that Nigerian news publishers have been denied fair commercial arrangements or compensation for the use of their journalistic content.
The FCCPC had previously investigated Meta and, in 2025, secured a landmark judgment against the company over alleged violations of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, including data privacy breaches. The company was fined $220 million and has since appealed the decision.
The development is expected to mark a significant chapter in Nigeria’s digital media landscape, amid growing concerns over the impact of global technology companies on the sustainability of journalism and the country’s news ecosystem.
The FCCPC’s latest investigation also comes against the backdrop of similar regulatory action in South Africa, where negotiations following an inquiry by the South African Competition Commission resulted in Google agreeing to compensate South African news media with R688 million (about $40 million) annually for between three and five years.
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