| Investigation will be based on petition jointly filed by NPAN, NUJ, NGE, BON, GOCOP
| FCCPC CEO pledges independent, transparent, evidence-based probe
President Bola Ahmed 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 news content belonging to Nigerian media organisations.
The move signals Nigeria’s strongest regulatory intervention yet in the growing global debate over whether digital platforms should compensate news publishers whose content drives traffic, advertising revenue and the training of artificial intelligence systems.
It also aligns with similar interventions in countries such as Australia, Canada and South Africa, where governments have sought to compel technology firms to negotiate compensation agreements with news publishers.
The investigation follows 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 was conveyed to the Commission by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
According to the federal government, the probe will examine allegations 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 publishers and content creators.
Reacting to the directive, FCCPC executive vice chairman and chief executive officer, Tunji Bello, assured stakeholders that the investigation would be conducted independently and transparently.
“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 guilt against 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 Commission said it would determine whether the alleged conduct violates the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 or any other applicable law.
However, among the issues under investigation are allegations of market dominance, anti-competitive conduct, and the unauthorised extraction, scraping, ingestion or commercial use of copyrighted news articles, broadcast materials and other original journalistic content for training Generative AI models.
The FCCPC will also examine complaints that Nigerian media organisations have been denied meaningful opportunities to negotiate fair compensation and commercial agreements with global technology companies for the use of their journalistic content.
The Commission recalled that it had previously investigated Meta and secured a landmark judgement in 2025 over violations of the FCCPA, including data privacy breaches, resulting in a $220 million fine, which the company has appealed.
The latest intervention mirrors developments in South Africa, where the country’s Competition Commission negotiated an agreement requiring Google to pay South African news publishers R688 million (about $40 million) annually for between three and five years.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP, media development advocate Lekan Otufodunrin described federal government’s action as a welcome step, saying the investigation should focus on how global technology companies commercially benefit from Nigerian journalism without a clearly defined framework for equitable compensation.
“The investigation should examine how Big Tech companies are taking advantage of Nigerian-generated content, from news reports to other locally created digital content. They derive significant value from this content, and that is an issue that deserves attention,” he said.
Otufodunrin acknowledged that the relationship between publishers and digital platforms is not entirely one-sided.
“The reality is that local media organisations also make money through these platforms. Many publishers generate revenue from Google Ads, Facebook and other digital services. So, the relationship is not completely one-sided,” he explained.
According to him, the central issue is whether the value generated from Nigerian content is being shared fairly.
“The concern is whether the balance is fair. Big Tech companies earn substantial revenue from content generated locally, and the question is whether Nigerian publishers and creators are receiving their fair share,” he explained.
He noted that the debate is not new, recalling that media stakeholders have for years advocated a framework requiring technology platforms to compensate publishers for the use of their content.
In an earlier intervention on the issue, Otufodunrin argued that the campaign for compensation reflects a global shift rather than a uniquely Nigerian concern.
“It is not an unusual request. News organisations invest heavily in producing credible content, which these platforms aggregate, distribute and monetise at scale. They are using content that publishers spend significant resources to generate, and they are deriving value from it,” he said.
He maintained that while negotiations could be lengthy, governments have a critical role to play.
“It is a legitimate demand, although it could be a long battle. If governments collaborate and negotiate as a bloc, like other regions have done, they can make meaningful progress,” he noted.
Otufodunrin also urged Nigerian publishers to strengthen their own digital strategies rather than relying solely on third-party platforms.
“As much as possible, we need to begin to develop how we can be independent of social media platforms. We should not put everything on those platforms for them to use so easily,” he said.
While welcoming the FCCPC probe, he cautioned that the process should be evidence-driven.
“It’s a welcome development, but the government needs to present clear data and explain exactly who is benefiting and to what extent. At the moment, we don’t have all the figures, and that’s one of the challenges.
“We also need the technical capacity to properly monitor these platforms and assess the value they derive from Nigerian content. So, let’s allow the investigation to run its course and see what the findings reveal,” he added.
Experts have stated that the outcome of the investigation could reshape the relationship between Nigerian media organisations and global technology companies, particularly as concerns grow over the use of journalistic content to train artificial intelligence models without licensing agreements or compensation.
Critically, the probe also places Nigeria among a growing number of countries seeking to rebalance the economics of digital journalism by ensuring that technology platforms negotiate fairly with news publishers.