Federal Government 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 Nigerian media content.
The directive followed a joint petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), 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).
According to the government, the investigation will focus on major technology companies, including Meta, Alphabet, the parent company of Google, X (formerly Twitter), and certain Generative AI platforms operating in Nigeria.
The directive was conveyed to the FCCPC in a letter signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris.
The NPO alleged that the companies engaged in practices capable of undermining fair competition, threatening the commercial viability of Nigerian media organisations and infringing on the rights of content creators and publishers.
Reacting to the development, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Mr 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 by 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 said.
According to Bello, the investigation will determine whether the alleged conduct violates the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 or any other applicable Nigerian law.
The commission said areas of interest include allegations of market dominance, anti-competitive conduct, unauthorised extraction and commercial use of copyrighted news articles, broadcast materials and other journalistic content for the development and training of Generative AI models.
The inquiry will also examine claims that Nigerian media organisations have been denied opportunities to negotiate fair compensation and commercial arrangements for the use of their journalistic content by global technology companies.
The FCCPC noted that it had previously investigated Meta over alleged violations of the FCCPA, resulting in a 2025 administrative penalty of 220 million dollars, which the company has appealed.
The commission added that a similar intervention by South Africa’s competition authorities led to an agreement under which Google committed to compensate South African news media with about 40 million dollars annually for three to five years.
