President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate several global technology companies and Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms over allegations of anti-competitive conduct and the unauthorized use of content produced by Nigerian media organisations.
The directive followed a petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), according to a statement released by the FCCPC.
The NPO is made up of 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).
According to the Commission, the investigation will examine allegations that some technology firms unlawfully extracted, scraped, ingested and commercially used copyrighted news reports, broadcast materials and other original journalistic works to develop and train artificial intelligence models.
The Federal Government reportedly communicated the President’s directive to the FCCPC through the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
The probe will focus on allegations involving major technology companies, including Meta, Alphabet, X (formerly Twitter), and other Generative AI platforms operating within Nigeria.
The Commission will also assess claims that some global technology companies have failed to establish fair commercial agreements with Nigerian media organisations, allegedly denying publishers adequate compensation for the use of their content.
Reacting to the development, FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Tunji Bello, assured that the investigation would be impartial, evidence-based and conducted in line with the law.
He emphasized that the inquiry should not be interpreted as proof of wrongdoing by any company, noting that all parties involved would be given the opportunity to present their positions before any conclusions are reached.
According to the FCCPC, the investigation will determine whether any of the reported practices violate the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 or any other relevant Nigerian legislation.
The Commission noted that concerns have grown over the influence of global digital platforms on the sustainability of Nigeria’s media industry, with publishers alleging that certain business practices threaten fair competition and the economic viability of local news organisations.
The FCCPC also referenced its previous legal action against Meta, which resulted in a $220 million fine in 2025 over alleged violations of the FCCPA, including data privacy breaches. The company has appealed the ruling.
In addition, the Commission cited South Africa as an example, where similar concerns led to regulatory action that resulted in Google agreeing to provide annual payments to news media organisations under a compensation arrangement.
