President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate major global technology companies and generative artificial intelligence platforms over allegations of anti-competitive practices and the unauthorized use of Nigerian media content.
The directive follows 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).
According to the FCCPC, the investigation will examine allegations involving Google, Meta, X (formerly Twitter), and several generative AI platforms accused of using Nigerian journalistic content without authorization or fair compensation.
The directive was conveyed to the commission through the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
In a statement issued on Monday by the FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, the commission said the investigation would focus on allegations of anti-competitive conduct, unlawful exploitation of news content, and other potentially unfair market practices.
The commission noted that Nigerian media organizations have become increasingly concerned about the growing influence of global digital platforms on the country’s news ecosystem, arguing that their business models have contributed to declining revenues while benefiting commercially from professionally produced journalism.
Among the key issues under investigation are allegations of market dominance, anti-competitive behavior, and the unauthorized extraction, scraping, ingestion, and commercial use of copyrighted news articles, broadcast materials, and other original journalistic works for training generative AI models.
The FCCPC will also assess claims that Nigerian publishers have been denied meaningful opportunities to negotiate licensing agreements or receive fair financial compensation for the use of their content.
FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Tunji Bello, emphasized that the inquiry would be impartial and evidence-driven.
“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.
“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.”
According to the commission, investigators will determine whether the alleged practices violate the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 or any other applicable Nigerian law.
The development mirrors a growing global trend of governments seeking to regulate the relationship between technology companies and news publishers. Several countries, including Australia, Canada, and South Africa, have introduced or strengthened frameworks requiring digital platforms to negotiate compensation agreements with media organizations.
The latest 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 concerns. The commission imposed a $220 million penalty, which Meta has appealed.
