President Tinubu Orders Probe of Google, X, Meta Over Alleged Infringement Against Nigeria Media

Big technology companies and Generative Artificial Intelligence, AI, platforms operating in Nigeria are now under review by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, FCCPC, following a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

The directive is in response to a joint petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation, NPO.

The NPO 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.

The Federal Government’s position was conveyed to the FCCPC in a letter signed by the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris.

Allegations raised by the media

In recent years, concerns have been raised within the Nigerian media industry over the growing impact of certain digital platforms on the sustainability of the country’s news ecosystem.

Specifically, the NPO cited major technology companies including Meta, Alphabet, X, formerly Twitter, and some Generative AI platforms.

The petition alleges practices capable of undermining fair competition, the commercial viability of Nigerian media organisations, and the rights of content creators and publishers.

Key areas of concern outlined include:

Market dominance and competition: Allegations of potential anti-competitive conduct by dominant platforms.

Use of journalistic content: Allegations of 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.

Commercial engagement: Concern over the lack of equitable commercial arrangements between global tech companies and Nigerian news publishers, including allegations that media organisations have been denied meaningful opportunities to negotiate fair compensation for the use of their content.

The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Mr. Tunji Bello, said the Commission will 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 added that the inquiry is not based on a presumption of wrongdoing.

“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,” he said.

The FCCPC will determine whether the practices in question constitute a breach of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, FCCPA, 2018 or any other applicable law.

The Commission previously investigated Meta and in 2025 won a case against the company for violations of the FCCPA, including data breach, for which Meta was fined $220 million.

Meta has appealed the fine.

The FCCPC noted that similar concerns have been raised in other jurisdictions.

Following agitation by media organisations in South Africa and an investigation by the South African Competition Commission, an agreement was reached for Google to compensate South African news media with R688 million, about $40 million, annually for three to five years.

The Commission said it will engage all relevant stakeholders as part of the investigation.