Tinubu Orders FCCPC Probe of Big Tech, AI Platforms Over Alleged Exploitation of Nigerian Media Content

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 use of Nigerian media content.

The directive followed a joint petition submitted to the Presidency 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).

The Federal Government conveyed the President’s directive to the FCCPC through the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.

According to the petition, leading technology companies, including Meta, Alphabet, X (formerly Twitter), and some Generative AI platforms, are alleged to have engaged in practices that undermine fair competition, threaten the commercial sustainability of Nigerian media organisations, and infringe on the rights of content creators and publishers.

Reacting to the development, FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Tunji Bello, said the Commission would conduct an independent, transparent and evidence-based investigation into the allegations.

“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 an assumption of wrongdoing by any of the companies under investigation.

“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 the investigation would determine whether the alleged conduct violates the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 or any other applicable Nigerian law.

Among the issues to be examined are allegations of market dominance and anti-competitive behaviour, the unauthorised extraction, scraping, ingestion or commercial use of copyrighted news articles, broadcast materials and other original journalistic content to develop and train Generative AI models, as well as claims that Nigerian media organisations have been denied fair commercial negotiations and compensation for the use of their content.

The latest probe comes after the FCCPC secured a landmark judgment against Meta in 2025 over violations of the FCCPA, including data privacy breaches, resulting in a $220 million fine. The company has since appealed the decision.

The Commission noted that similar concerns had previously been addressed in South Africa, where following an investigation by the South African Competition Commission, Google agreed to compensate South African news media with R688 million (about $40 million) annually for a period of three to five years.

The FCCPC said its investigation is expected to examine the evolving relationship between global technology firms and Nigeria’s media industry, with a view to ensuring fair competition and protecting the rights of local news publishers.