President Bola Tinubu 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 exploitation of content belonging to Nigerian media organisations.
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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).
The directive, conveyed to the FCCPC through the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, marks a significant step in addressing long-standing concerns by Nigerian media organisations over declining revenues and the widespread use of their content by global technology companies without compensation.
In a statement issued on Monday, the FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, said the investigation would focus on technology firms, including Meta, Alphabet (Google’s parent company), X (formerly Twitter), and Generative AI platforms operating in Nigeria.
According to the statement, the commission will investigate allegations of anti-competitive practices, unlawful exploitation of news content, and other potentially unfair market conduct.
The media organisations argued that the activities of the companies undermine fair competition, threaten the commercial sustainability of Nigerian media organisations, and infringe on the rights of content creators and publishers.
“The investigation promises to open a new chapter in Nigeria’s media landscape,” the statement said, noting growing concerns over the impact of digital platforms on the sustainability of the country’s news ecosystem.
The Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, 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 an assumption 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 added.
The FCCPC said it would determine whether the alleged practices violate the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act, 2018, or any other applicable law.
Among the issues under investigation are allegations of market dominance, anti-competitive conduct, and the unauthorised extraction, scraping, ingestion, and 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 complaints that Nigerian publishers have been denied meaningful opportunities to negotiate fair compensation and commercial agreements for the use of their content.
The investigation comes amid growing global scrutiny of the relationship between media organisations and technology companies that distribute and monetise news content.
Several countries have introduced regulations requiring digital platforms to negotiate compensation agreements with news publishers. In South Africa, for example, Google agreed to pay the country’s news media R688 million (about $40 million) annually for between three and five years following regulatory intervention.
The Nigerian probe also comes less than a year after the FCCPC secured a landmark judgment against Meta over alleged violations of Nigeria’s competition and consumer protection laws, including data privacy breaches. The commission imposed a $220 million penalty on the company, which Meta has appealed.
The outcome of the investigation is expected to shape Nigeria’s digital regulatory landscape and could redefine the relationship between global technology companies and the country’s media industry.
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