ABUJA — The Federal Government has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate X (formerly Twitter), Meta, Alphabet and several Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) companies over allegations of anti-competitive practices and actions considered harmful to Nigeria’s media industry.
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).
In a statement issued by the FCCPC on Monday, the commission disclosed that the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, formally conveyed the government’s directive, requesting a comprehensive investigation into the concerns raised by the media organisations.
According to the petition, the technology companies are alleged to have engaged in practices capable of distorting fair competition within Nigeria’s digital media space, weakening the financial sustainability of local media organisations, and undermining the rights of publishers and content creators.
Among the issues raised are allegations of market dominance, the unauthorised scraping and commercial use of copyrighted news content for training Generative AI models, and the absence of fair commercial agreements between global technology companies and Nigerian news publishers.
The FCCPC said its investigation would focus on determining whether the actions of the companies violate the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 or any other applicable Nigerian laws.
Reacting to the directive, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Tunji Bello, assured stakeholders that the investigation would be conducted independently, transparently and based strictly on available evidence.
He noted that while the media remains a critical pillar of Nigeria’s democracy, technology companies also play an essential role in innovation and economic development.
“Our responsibility is to objectively establish the facts and ensure that competition within Nigeria’s digital ecosystem remains fair, transparent and consistent with the provisions of Nigerian law,” Bello said.
He stressed that the investigation should not be interpreted as a finding of guilt against any of the companies involved, adding that all affected organisations would be given the opportunity to present their positions before any conclusions or regulatory decisions are made.
The commission also recalled its previous enforcement action against Meta, which resulted in a 2025 ruling that upheld a $220 million penalty over violations of the FCCPA. The company has since challenged the decision through the appellate process.
The outcome of the latest investigation is expected to determine whether further regulatory action is required to protect fair competition and safeguard the interests of Nigeria’s media industry and digital content creators.
FG Orders FCCPC to Probe X, Meta, Others Over Alleged Anti-Competitive Practices
