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 unlawful use of content belonging to Nigerian media organisations.
Tinubu’s directive follows a joint petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation, NPO, which 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 decision was conveyed to the FCCPC in a letter signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris.
According to a statement issued on Monday by the FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, the investigation will examine allegations that some global technology firms have engaged in practices that undermine fair competition, threaten the commercial sustainability of Nigerian media organisations, and infringe on the rights of content creators and publishers.
The companies listed in the petition include Meta, Alphabet, X, formerly Twitter, as well as certain Generative AI platforms operating in Nigeria.
Reacting to the directive, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Mr. Tunji Bello, assured stakeholders that the Commission would conduct an independent, transparent and evidence-based investigation.
He stressed that while the media remains critical to Nigeria’s democracy, technology also plays a vital role in driving innovation and economic growth, adding that the Commission’s responsibility is to establish the facts and ensure that competition within the digital ecosystem complies with Nigerian law.
Bello clarified 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 said.
The Commission said the investigation would determine whether the alleged practices violate the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, FCCPA, 2018 or any other applicable law.
Among the issues to be examined are allegations of market dominance and anti-competitive conduct, the unauthorised extraction, scraping, ingestion or commercial use of copyrighted news articles, broadcast materials and other original journalistic content for the training and development of Generative AI models, as well as concerns over the absence of fair commercial arrangements between global technology companies and Nigerian news publishers.
The FCCPC noted that media organisations have alleged they have been denied meaningful opportunities to negotiate equitable compensation for the use of their journalistic content.
The Commission recalled that it previously investigated Meta and, in 2025, secured a landmark judgment against the technology company over violations of the FCCPA, including data privacy breaches, resulting in a $220 million penalty, which the company has appealed.
The statement also referenced developments in South Africa, where sustained advocacy by media organisations and an investigation by the South African Competition Commission culminated in an agreement requiring Google to compensate South African news media with R688 million, about $40 million, annually for a period of three to five years.
