?President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate major technology companies and Generative AI platforms over allegations of anti-competitive practices and the unlawful exploitation of Nigerian media content.
The directive follows a joint petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), which represents 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 media industry has raised significant concerns regarding tech giants like Meta, Alphabet, and X (formerly Twitter) undermining fair competition, threatening the commercial viability of local newsrooms, and scraping copyrighted journalistic content to train AI models without equitable compensation.
?Reacting to the directive, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Mr. Tunji Bello, reaffirmed the Commission's commitment to conducting 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,” said Bello.
He further clarified that, "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."
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The FCCPC will determine if these practices breach the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018.
The investigation highlights critical areas of concern, including market dominance, unauthorized content scraping for AI training, and the lack of fair commercial engagement for local publishers.
This move follows a historical precedent where the FCCPC fined Meta $220 million in 2025 for data breaches a ruling Meta has appealed as well as recent international precedents, such as Google agreeing to compensate South African news media with R688 million ($40 million) annually following a similar anti-trust investigation.
