Nigerian Media Petition Triggers Tinubu-Ordered Probe of Big Tech

By Editor

Abuja, July 6, 2026 — 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 Nigerian news content.

The directive follows 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 a letter signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.

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

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

Among the issues to be examined are allegations of market dominance and anti-competitive conduct, the unauthorised scraping, extraction and commercial use of copyrighted news 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 development marks a significant regulatory move as concerns grow over the impact of global digital platforms on the sustainability of Nigeria’s news industry.

The FCCPC had previously investigated Meta and secured a landmark judgment in 2025 over alleged violations of the FCCPA, including data privacy breaches, resulting in a $220 million fine. Meta has appealed the decision.

The Commission’s latest investigation also comes against the backdrop of similar regulatory action in South Africa, where negotiations following an inquiry by the South African Competition Commission led to Google agreeing to compensate South African news media with R688 million (about $40 million) annually for between three and five years.