President Bola Tinubu has asked the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to look into big global tech companies and Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms. This is due to claims of unfair practices and the unauthorized use of content from Nigerian media organizations.
This order comes after the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO) submitted a joint petition to the Presidency. The NPO is made up of 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 informed the FCCPC about the President’s order through the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
A statement released on Monday by the commission says the investigation will look into claims that some of the largest tech companies have done things that hurt fair competition and threaten Nigeria’s media industry.
The companies under scrutiny include Meta, Alphabet (Google’s parent company), X (formerly Twitter) and some Generative AI platforms operating in Nigeria.
Allegations Being Investigated
The FCCPC mentioned that the inquiry will find out if these companies broke the rules of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 or any other relevant laws.
Some of the issues to be investigated include claims of market dominance abuse and anti-competitive behavior. The commission will also check claims that copyrighted articles, broadcast materials, and other original content from Nigerian media organizations have been used without permission to build and train Generative AI models.
Another important matter is whether global tech companies have blocked Nigerian media organizations from getting fair chances to negotiate payments or agreements for using their content. The media groups say these practices have hurt the financial health of news publishers and violated the rights of journalists and content creators.
FCCPC Promises Fair Process
In response to the order, Tunji Bello, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, assured that the commission would carry out an independent and evidence-based investigation.
"We understand how important the media is to Nigeria’s democracy and the significant role technology plays in innovation and economic growth. Our job is to find out the facts and make sure competition in the digital space is fair, transparent and in line with Nigerian law," Bello said.
He emphasized that the investigation should not be seen as an assumption of guilt against any company. "This inquiry is not aimed at any entity by presumption of wrongdoing. It is a chance to carefully look at the facts, hear from all involved and see if any actions have led to anti-competitive results or unfair business practices," he added.
Bello mentioned that everyone involved will have a chance to present their views before any conclusions are made. This latest investigation comes after the FCCPC won a major legal case against Meta in 2025 over alleged breaches of Nigeria’s competition and consumer protection laws.
The commission fined the tech company $220 million for alleged data privacy and consumer protection violations. Meta is currently appealing this decision.
Global Concerns
The FCCPC pointed out that similar worries have appeared in other countries regarding the relationship between global tech firms and news publishers. It referred to South Africa, where the South African Competition Commission's investigations led to an agreement where Google would pay about R688 million (around $40 million) yearly for three to five years to support the country’s news media.
The commission stated that its investigation aims to find out if there are similar competition and consumer protection issues in Nigeria and if any regulatory action is necessary.
Drop your comment
No comments yet — be the first to drop the gist 👇