The Federal Government has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate major global technology companies, including X (formerly Twitter), Meta, Alphabet (Google), and several Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) firms over allegations of anti-media and anti-competitive practices in Nigeria.
The directive followed a petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), a coalition 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).
In a statement issued by the FCCPC, the commission confirmed that it received a formal directive from the Federal Government through the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, instructing it to investigate the claims raised by the media bodies.
According to the petition, the technology companies are accused of engaging in practices that could stifle competition, threaten the financial sustainability of Nigerian media organisations, and undermine the rights of local publishers and content creators.
The media organisations specifically alleged that some of the firms have abused their market dominance, commercially used copyrighted news content without proper authorisation to train Generative AI models, and failed to establish fair commercial agreements with Nigerian news publishers despite benefiting from their content.
The FCCPC stated that its investigation would focus on several critical issues, including allegations of market dominance, unauthorised scraping and commercial use of copyrighted news materials, and whether the companies have complied with Nigeria’s competition and consumer protection laws.
Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Tunji Bello, assured stakeholders that the commission would conduct an impartial, transparent, and evidence-driven investigation.
He stressed that the inquiry would carefully balance the importance of technological innovation with the need to protect Nigeria’s media industry and ensure fair competition.
“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,” Bello said.
“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 also clarified that the investigation should not be interpreted as a finding of guilt against any of the companies involved. According to him, every organisation named in the petition will be given an opportunity to respond to the allegations before any decision is made.
He added that the commission’s findings would determine whether any of the companies violated the provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 or any other applicable Nigerian law.
The latest investigation comes amid increasing global scrutiny of large technology companies over their use of news content and the growing influence of artificial intelligence on the media industry.
The FCCPC has previously taken regulatory action against Meta. In 2025, the commission secured a ruling against the company over alleged violations of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, resulting in a $220 million fine, a decision that Meta has appealed.
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