By Ihechi Enyinnaya
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 Nigerian media content.
The directive followed a joint petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), an umbrella body comprising 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 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 petition, major technology companies, including Meta, Alphabet, X (formerly Twitter), and several Generative AI platforms, are alleged to have engaged in practices that undermine fair competition, threaten the commercial viability of Nigerian media organisations, and infringe on the rights of content creators and publishers.
The FCCPC said the investigation would focus on whether the companies’ actions 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, Tunji Bello, said the Commission would 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 stressed that the inquiry should not be interpreted as a presumption of wrongdoing against any organisation.
“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 added.
Among the issues under investigation are allegations of market dominance and anti-competitive conduct by global technology firms, as well as the alleged unauthorised extraction, scraping, ingestion and commercial use of copyrighted news articles, broadcast materials and other original journalistic content for the training and development of Generative AI models.
The Commission will also examine claims that Nigerian media organisations have been denied fair opportunities to negotiate commercial agreements or receive adequate compensation for the use of their journalistic content by the technology companies.
The FCCPC noted that it had previously investigated Meta and, in 2025, secured a landmark judgment against the company over alleged violations of the FCCPA, including data privacy breaches, resulting in a $220 million fine. Meta has appealed the decision.
The Commission also referenced developments in South Africa, where following an investigation by the country’s Competition Commission, Google agreed to compensate South African news media with R688 million (about $40 million) annually for between three and five years.