The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has opened an investigation into Meta, X and other global technology firms over allegations of unfair business practices affecting Nigeria’s media sector.
The move follows a directive from President Bola Tinubu after the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO) petitioned the Presidency, raising concerns over the activities of major digital platforms and their impact on local news publishers.
The development was announced in a statement issued on Monday by the FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, who disclosed that the probe would also cover Generative Artificial Intelligence platforms operating in Nigeria.
According to the commission, the President’s directive was communicated through a letter signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
The petition was jointly submitted by the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria and Guild of Corporate Online Publishers.
The organisations accused global technology companies, including Meta, Alphabet Inc. and X, formerly Twitter, alongside some Generative AI platforms, of engaging in practices that could distort competition, threaten the sustainability of Nigerian media organisations and violate the rights of publishers and content creators.
FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Tunji Bello, said the commission would carry out an impartial, evidence-based investigation.
He noted that while the media plays a vital role in Nigeria’s democracy and technology is essential for innovation and economic growth, the commission’s duty is to establish the facts and ensure competition within the digital space remains fair, transparent and in line with Nigerian laws.
Bello emphasised that the inquiry should not be viewed as an indication that any company had already been found guilty.
According to him, the investigation is intended to gather facts, hear from all stakeholders and determine whether any anti-competitive practices or unfair business conduct have occurred.
The FCCPC said the inquiry would assess claims of market dominance abuse and other anti-competitive behaviour by the companies identified in the petition.
It will also investigate allegations that copyrighted news stories, broadcast materials and other journalistic works were scraped or used without permission to train Generative AI models.
Another aspect of the probe will examine whether Nigerian media organisations have been denied fair commercial agreements or adequate compensation for the use of their content by global technology firms.
The commission recalled that it previously investigated Meta for alleged violations of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, leading to a court ruling in 2025 imposing a $220 million penalty on the company, a decision that is currently under appeal.
It also referenced South Africa, where the country’s Competition Commission secured an agreement requiring Google to pay news organisations about R688 million, approximately $40 million annually, over a period of three to five years as compensation for using their content.
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