By Uzair Adam
President Bola Tinubu has ordered 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 unauthorised use of content produced by Nigerian media organisations.
The directive followed 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 directive was conveyed to the FCCPC through a letter signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
According to the government, the investigation will address concerns raised by the Nigerian media industry over the growing influence of digital platforms on the country’s news ecosystem and their impact on the sustainability of local media organisations.
The petition names major technology companies, including Meta, Alphabet, and X, alongside some Generative AI platforms operating in Nigeria.
The organisations are accused of engaging in practices that could undermine fair competition, weaken the commercial viability of Nigerian media outlets, and infringe on the rights of publishers and content creators.
Reacting to the directive, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Tunji Bello, said the commission would carry out 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 investigation should not be interpreted as an indication that any organisation had already been found guilty of wrongdoing.
“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.
The FCCPC said the investigation would determine whether the alleged conduct violates 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 behaviour, as well as the unauthorised extraction, scraping, ingestion or commercial use of copyrighted news articles, broadcast materials and other original journalistic content for the development and training of Generative AI models.
The commission will also examine claims that Nigerian media organisations have been denied fair commercial arrangements and adequate compensation for the use of their content by global technology companies.
The FCCPC recalled that it previously investigated Meta and secured a court judgment against the company in 2025 over violations of the FCCPA, including data privacy breaches, which resulted in a $220 million fine. The company has appealed the ruling.
The commission further referenced developments in South Africa, where, following an investigation by the South African Competition Commission, Google agreed to compensate South African news organisations with R688 million (about $40 million) annually for a period of three to five years.
