By JKNewsMedia
MONDAY, PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate major technology companies and Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms operating in Nigeria over allegations of anti-competitive practices, unlawful exploitation of news content and other potentially unfair market conduct.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that 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 Federal Government (FG) conveyed the President’s directive to the FCCPC in a letter signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
According to the Commission, the investigation comes amid growing concerns within Nigeria’s media industry over the impact of certain digital platforms on the sustainability of the country’s news ecosystem.
The NPO alleged that major technology companies, including Meta, Alphabet, X (formerly Twitter), and certain Generative AI platforms, have engaged in practices capable of undermining fair competition, threatening the commercial viability of Nigerian media organisations, and infringing on the rights of content creators and publishers.
Reacting to the directive, 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 wrongdoing against any organisation.
“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.
A statement signed by the FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, said the Commission would determine whether the alleged practices constitute breaches of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 or any other applicable law.
Among the issues under investigation are allegations of market dominance and anti-competitive conduct, the unauthorised extraction, scraping, ingestion or commercial utilisation of copyrighted news articles, broadcast materials and other original journalistic content for the development and training of Generative AI models.
JKNewsMedia.com also reports that the Commission will also examine concerns over the lack of equitable commercial engagement between global technology companies and Nigerian news publishers, including allegations that media organisations have been denied meaningful opportunities to negotiate fair compensation or appropriate commercial arrangements for the use of their journalistic content.
The FCCPC recalled that it had previously investigated Meta and, in 2025, secured a landmark judgment upholding a $220 million penalty against the technology company for violations of the FCCPA, including data privacy breaches.
Meta has reportedly appealed the decision.
The Commission also noted that similar concerns raised by media organisations in South Africa resulted in an investigation by the South African Competition Commission, which culminated in an agreement for Google to compensate South African news media with R688 million (about $40 million) annually for between three and five years.
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