By Victor Osula, Abuja
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) is set to launch an investigate into the activities of major global technology companies and Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms following allegations of anti-competitive practices, unlawful exploitation of news content, and other actions said to be threatening the sustainability of Nigeria’s media industry.
FCCPC Director, Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, said 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’s decision was conveyed to the FCCPC in a letter signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, directing the Commission to conduct a comprehensive investigation into the allegations.
The move signals what could become one of Nigeria’s most significant regulatory interventions in the country’s digital ecosystem, as authorities seek to determine whether the operations of global technology companies comply with Nigerian competition and consumer protection laws.
The petition specifically raises concerns over the activities of technology giants, including Meta, Alphabet, X (formerly Twitter), as well as several Generative AI platforms operating in Nigeria. The media organisations allege that the companies have engaged in practices capable of undermining fair competition, weakening the commercial viability of Nigerian news organisations, and infringing on the intellectual property rights of content creators and publishers.
Reacting to the presidential directive, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Mr Tunji Bello, assured stakeholders that the Commission would undertake an independent, transparent and evidence-driven 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 investigation should not be interpreted as a presumption of guilt against any company.
“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.
According to the FCCPC boss, the investigation will determine whether the alleged conduct violates the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 or any other applicable Nigerian law.
Among the key issues to be examined are allegations of abuse of market dominance and other anti-competitive practices by major digital platforms.
The Commission will also investigate claims of unauthorised extraction, scraping, ingestion and commercial use of copyrighted news reports, broadcast materials and other original journalistic content in the development and training of Generative AI models without the consent of Nigerian media organisations.
Another major area of focus is the alleged lack of equitable commercial arrangements between global technology companies and Nigerian news publishers. The media organisations contend that they have been denied meaningful opportunities to negotiate fair compensation for the use of their journalistic content, despite the significant value such content contributes to digital platforms.
The latest probe comes against the backdrop of the FCCPC’s previous enforcement action against Meta. In 2025, the Commission secured a landmark judgment against the technology company over violations of the FCCPA, including data privacy breaches, resulting in a $220 million fine. Meta has appealed the ruling.
Similar regulatory efforts have emerged in other jurisdictions. In South Africa, following complaints by media organisations and an investigation by the South African Competition Commission, Google agreed to compensate South African news publishers with approximately R688 million (about $40 million) annually for a period of three to five years.
