• Tunji Bello: no culpability yet, investigation will be independent, transparent, evidence-based
James Emejo in Abuja
President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, directed 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 exploitation of content belonging to Nigerian media organisations.
The directive followed a joint petition submitted to the presidency by Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), an umbrella body comprising Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), and Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP).
The federal government conveyed the president’s directive to FCCPC through a letter signed by Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
The commission was expected to investigate allegations against major technology firms, including Meta, Alphabet, X (formerly Twitter), as well as Generative AI platforms operating in Nigeria.
The move came amid mounting concerns by the local media industry over the growing influence of digital platforms on the country’s news ecosystem and the sustainability of media organisations.
The petition alleged that some technology companies had engaged in practices capable of undermining fair competition, weakening the commercial viability of Nigerian media outfits, and infringing on the rights of publishers and content creators.
Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive of FCCPC, Mr. Tunji Bello, said the commission would conduct an independent, transparent, and evidence-based investigation to establish the facts.
Bello said the commission recognised the strategic role of the media in sustaining the country’s democracy as well as the importance of technology in promoting innovation and economic growth.
Bello stressed that FCCPC’s responsibility was to ensure that competition within the digital ecosystem remained fair, transparent, and consistent with Nigerian law.
In a statement issued by Director, Corporate Affairs, FCCPC, Ondaje Ijagwu, Bello stressed that the investigation should not be interpreted as a presumption of wrongdoing against any company.
Rather, he said the exercise will provide an opportunity for all parties to present relevant information while the commission objectively determined whether any conduct resulted in anti-competitive outcomes or unfair business practices.
Bello explained, “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.
“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.”
The commission said the investigation would determine whether the alleged conduct violated the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 or any other applicable law.
Among the issues under review are allegations of market dominance and anti-competitive conduct by global technology companies.
The investigation will also examine claims of unauthorised extraction, scraping, ingestion, and commercial use of copyrighted news reports, broadcast materials, and other original journalistic content for the development and training of Generative AI models.
Another major area of inquiry is the alleged absence of equitable commercial arrangements between global technology companies and Nigerian news publishers, including claims that media organisations have been denied meaningful opportunities to negotiate fair compensation for the use of their content.
The latest probe followed an earlier investigation of Meta by FCCPC, which culminated in a landmark judgement in 2025.
The company was fined $220 million for violations of FCCPA, including data privacy breaches, although the decision is currently on appeal.
The commission also pointed to developments in South Africa, where investigations by South African Competition Commission resulted in Google agreeing to compensate South African news media with R688 million (about $40 million) annually for between three and five years.
