President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate major global technology companies, including Meta, Alphabet (Google), X (formerly Twitter), and some generative artificial intelligence platforms over alleged anti-competitive practices and unlawful use of news content belonging to Nigerian media organisations.
The directive followed a joint petition submitted 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 conveyed the directive to the FCCPC in a letter signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
According to the government, the investigation will examine allegations of unfair market conduct and assess the impact of digital platforms on the sustainability of Nigeria’s media industry.
The probe will also cover generative artificial intelligence platforms operating in Nigeria over claims that they used journalistic content without proper authorisation.
The NPO alleged that the activities of Meta, Google, X and some AI platforms have undermined fair competition, weakened the commercial viability of Nigerian media organisations, and infringed on the rights of content creators and publishers.
Reacting, FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, 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 guilt against any company, adding that all affected parties would be given a fair opportunity to present their positions before any decision is reached.
According to the FCCPC, the investigation will determine whether the alleged practices violate the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 or any other applicable law.
The commission said the inquiry would focus on alleged abuse of market dominance, unauthorised use of copyrighted news content for training generative AI models, and the absence of fair commercial agreements between global technology firms and Nigerian publishers.
The development comes about seven months after Google agreed to pay over $40 million to support South African news media following findings by the country’s Competition Commission that the company had reduced search monetisation opportunities for news organisations.
