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 (formerly Twitter), and Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms, over allegations of anti-competitive practices and the unauthorized use of Nigerian news content.
The directive followed a joint petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), which comprises 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).
According to a statement issued by the FCCPC, the Federal Government instructed the commission to investigate allegations that some global technology companies have exploited copyrighted news articles, broadcast materials, and other original journalistic content without fair compensation to Nigerian media organisations.
The directive was conveyed to the FCCPC through a letter signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
The FCCPC said the investigation would examine whether the activities of the companies violate the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 or any other applicable Nigerian law.
Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Mr. Tunji Bello, said the investigation would be conducted independently, transparently, and based on verifiable evidence.
“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 stated.
He clarified that the investigation should not be interpreted as an assumption of wrongdoing by 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.
According to the commission, the investigation will focus on allegations of market dominance, anti-competitive conduct, unauthorized extraction and scraping of copyrighted news content for the training and development of Generative AI models, and concerns over the lack of equitable commercial agreements between global technology firms and Nigerian media organisations.
The FCCPC also noted concerns that Nigerian publishers have allegedly been denied meaningful opportunities to negotiate fair compensation for the commercial use of their journalistic content.
The commission recalled that it previously investigated Meta and, in 2025, secured a landmark ruling against the company over violations of the FCCPA, including data privacy breaches, resulting in a $220 million fine, which Meta has appealed.
The FCCPC cited South Africa as an example where negotiations between media organisations and Google reportedly resulted in annual compensation of approximately R688 million (about $40 million) for news publishers following regulatory intervention.
The commission said the outcome of the Nigerian investigation could shape the future relationship between global technology companies and the country’s media industry while ensuring fair competition and protecting the rights of content creators.
