President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate major global technology companies and Generative Artificial Intelligence (GAI) platforms over allegations of anti-competitive practices and the unauthorised use of content belonging to Nigerian media organisations.
The directive followed a joint petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), which includes 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 (GCOP).
The Federal Government conveyed the directive to the FCCPC through a letter signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
According to a statement, the investigation will examine concerns raised by the Nigerian media industry about the growing influence of digital platforms on the sustainability of the country’s news ecosystem.
The petition named global technology companies, including Meta, Alphabet, and X (formerly Twitter), as well as some Generative AI platforms operating in Nigeria. The organisations accused them of engaging in practices that could undermine fair competition, weaken the commercial viability of Nigerian media organisations, and violate the rights of content creators and publishers.
Reacting to the directive, the FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Tunji Bello, assured stakeholders that the commission would carry out an independent, transparent and evidence-based investigation.
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.”
Bello stressed that the investigation should not be interpreted as proof that any organisation had committed wrongdoing.
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. Every party will be accorded a fair opportunity to present relevant information before any conclusions are reached.”
Issues Under Investigation
The FCCPC said the investigation will determine whether the alleged actions violate the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 or any other applicable law.
Among the issues to be examined are allegations of market dominance and anti-competitive conduct, as well as the unauthorised extraction, scraping, ingestion or commercial use of copyrighted news articles, broadcast materials and other original journalistic content for the development and training of Generative AI models.
The commission will also investigate claims that global technology companies have failed to establish fair commercial agreements with Nigerian news publishers.
According to the FCCPC, it will examine allegations that local media organisations have been denied meaningful opportunities to negotiate fair compensation for the use of their content.
Previous Action Against Meta
The FCCPC recalled that it previously investigated Meta and secured what it described as a landmark court judgment against the company in 2025 over violations of the FCCPC Act, including data privacy breaches.
The commission said the court imposed a $220 million fine on Meta, although the company has appealed the judgment.
The FCCPC also pointed to developments in South Africa, where concerns raised by media organisations led to an investigation by the South African Competition Commission (SACC).
According to the commission, after the investigation, Google agreed to pay South African news organisations R688 million (about $40 million) annually for a period of three to five years.
