President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate a joint petition filed by the Nigerian Press Organization (NPO). The petition alleges that major technology firms are engaging in anti‑competitive practices and using Nigerian news content without proper compensation to train generative artificial intelligence (AI) models.
Investigation launched by the FCCPC
In a statement issued on [date], FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Tunji Bello emphasized that the probe will be conducted independently and should not be interpreted as a pre‑judgment of wrongdoing.
“This investigation is not directed against a company that suspects wrongdoing. Rather, it is an opportunity to carefully review the facts, hear all affected parties, and determine whether any conduct resulted in anticompetitive results or unfair business practices,” Bello said.
Background and presidential directive
The directive follows growing concerns among Nigerian media outlets that global platforms such as Meta (parent of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp) and Alphabet (Google) are scraping copyrighted articles, broadcast material and other journalistic outputs to feed AI training datasets. The NPO argues that this practice deprives Nigerian publishers of fair compensation and undermines the domestic media ecosystem.
Scope of the investigation
The FCCPC will examine whether the alleged conduct violates the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) of 2018 or any other applicable Nigerian statutes. Specific areas under review include:
- Market dominance and potential anti‑competitive conduct by the named technology firms.
- Unauthorized extraction, scraping, ingestion or commercial use of copyrighted Nigerian news articles, broadcast materials and other original journalistic content for training generative AI models.
- Denial of meaningful negotiation opportunities for Nigerian media organizations to secure fair compensation or commercial agreements for the use of their content.
Allegations detailed by the NPO
The petition highlights three core concerns:
- Market dominance: Accusations that the platforms exert excessive control over digital advertising and content distribution channels in Nigeria.
- Copyright infringement for AI training: Claims that the companies systematically harvest Nigerian news content without licences or remuneration to improve large‑language models and other AI systems.
- Unfair compensation practices: Allegations that Nigerian publishers are offered little or no opportunity to negotiate licences or revenue‑sharing deals comparable to those granted to media outlets in other jurisdictions.
Meta’s existing regulatory challenges in Nigeria
The current investigation adds to Meta’s ongoing legal exposure in the country. In 2025, the FCCPC secured a court ruling upholding a $220 million penalty against Meta for alleged violations of Nigerian consumer protection and privacy laws. Meta has appealed the decision, and the case remains pending.
Bello noted that the FCCPC will consider the outcome of that appeal as part of its broader assessment of Meta’s compliance with Nigerian regulations.
Comparative precedent: South Africa’s settlement with Google
The FCCPC referenced a similar dispute resolved in South Africa, where the Competition Commission found that Google had engaged in anti‑competitive behavior concerning news content. As part of the settlement, Google agreed to pay South African news media approximately 688 million rand (about US $40 million) annually for a period of three to five years.
Nigerian publishers are watching this development closely, as it may inform the FCCPC’s approach to determining appropriate remuneration or behavioural remedies should anti‑competitive conduct be substantiated.
Potential impact of the investigation
If the FCCPC finds sufficient evidence of anti‑competitive behaviour or unfair business practices, the investigation could become one of Nigeria’s most significant regulatory actions against Big Tech firms. Possible outcomes include:
- Orders to cease specific data‑scraping activities involving Nigerian copyrighted content.
- Mandates to negotiate fair licencing agreements with Nigerian media organizations.
- Financial penalties commensurate with the scale of any proven harm.
- Behavioural remedies aimed at restoring competitive balance in the digital advertising and content markets.
Such measures would not only protect the intellectual property rights of Nigerian journalists but could also reshape how global technology companies source, use and compensate local news content for AI development and other commercial purposes.
