President Bola 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 exploitation 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 Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), and the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP).
The Federal Government conveyed the President’s directive to the FCCPC through a letter signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
According to the directive, the commission will investigate allegations involving major technology companies, including Meta, Alphabet (Google’s parent company), X (formerly Twitter), and Generative AI platforms operating in Nigeria.
The move comes amid growing concerns within Nigeria’s media industry over the increasing influence of digital platforms on the country’s news ecosystem and the long-term sustainability of media organisations.
The petition alleged that some technology companies had engaged in practices capable of undermining fair competition, weakening the commercial viability of Nigerian media organisations and infringing on the rights of publishers and content creators.
Reacting to the development, Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Tunji Bello, assured that the commission would conduct an independent, transparent and evidence-based investigation to establish the facts.
He said the commission recognises the strategic role of the media in sustaining Nigeria’s democracy, just as it acknowledges the importance of technology in driving innovation and economic growth.
Bello stressed that the investigation should not be interpreted as a presumption of wrongdoing against any company, noting that every party involved would be given a fair opportunity to present its position.
“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,” Bello said.
“Our responsibility is to objectively determine the facts and ensure that competition within the digital ecosystem remains fair, transparent, and consistent with Nigerian law.”
“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.”
According to the FCCPC, the investigation will determine whether the alleged conduct violates the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 or any other applicable law.
Among the issues under review are allegations of market dominance, anti-competitive practices, unauthorised extraction, scraping, ingestion and commercial use of copyrighted news reports, broadcast materials and other original journalistic content for the development and training of Generative AI models.
The commission will also examine claims that Nigerian media organisations have been denied fair commercial arrangements and meaningful opportunities to negotiate compensation for the use of their content by global technology companies.
The latest investigation follows the FCCPC’s earlier probe of Meta, which resulted in a $220 million fine in 2025 over alleged violations of the FCCPA, including data privacy breaches. The decision is currently being challenged on appeal.
The commission also cited developments in South Africa, where investigations by the South African Competition Commission led Google to agree to compensate South African news media with R688 million (about $40 million) annually for a period of between three and five years.
