President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission
FCCPC to investigate major Big Tech companies including Meta, Alphabet’s Google, X (formerly Twitter) and generative AI platforms over allegations of anti-competitive practices and the unauthorised use of content belonging to Nigerian media organisations.

The directive follows a joint petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation, an umbrella body made up of the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria, the Nigeria Union of Journalists, the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria and the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers. The federal government conveyed the president’s directive to the FCCPC through the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.

According to a statement issued Monday by the commission, the investigation will look into allegations that some of the world’s biggest technology companies have engaged in practices that undermine fair competition and threaten the sustainability of Nigeria’s media industry. The companies named include Meta, Alphabet (Google’s parent company), X, formerly known as Twitter, and certain generative AI platforms operating in Nigeria.

The FCCPC said the inquiry will determine whether these companies violated provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act of 2018 or any other applicable law. Among the issues under examination are allegations of abuse of market dominance and anti-competitive conduct.

The commission will also look into claims that copyrighted news articles, broadcast materials and other original journalistic content belonging to Nigerian media organisations were extracted, scraped, ingested or commercially used without authorisation to develop and train generative AI models.

A further issue is whether these companies denied Nigerian media organisations a fair opportunity to negotiate compensation or commercial agreements for the use of their content. The media organisations argue that these practices have weakened the commercial viability of news publishers and undermined the rights of journalists and content creators.

Responding to the directive, the FCCPC’s executive vice chairman and chief executive, Tunji Bello, said the commission would carry out an independent, evidence based investigation. He said the commission recognises the strategic importance of the media to Nigeria’s democracy, as well as the significant role technology plays in driving innovation and economic growth, and that its responsibility is to objectively determine the facts and ensure competition in the digital ecosystem stays fair, transparent and consistent with Nigerian law.

Bello stressed that the investigation should not be read as a finding of wrongdoing against any company. He said the inquiry is not directed at any entity based on a presumption of wrongdoing, but is instead an opportunity to examine the facts carefully, hear from all affected parties, and determine whether any conduct has led to anti-competitive outcomes or unfair business practices. He added that all parties involved will have the chance to present their positions before any conclusions are reached.

This latest probe comes after the FCCPC secured a major legal victory against Meta in 2025 over alleged violations of Nigeria’s competition and consumer protection laws. The commission had imposed a $220 million penalty on the company over alleged data privacy and consumer protection breaches, a decision Meta has appealed.

The FCCPC noted that similar concerns have emerged in other countries over the relationship between global technology companies and news publishers. It pointed to South Africa, where investigations by the South African Competition Commission eventually led to an agreement under which Google committed to pay about R688 million, roughly $40 million, annually for between three and five years to support the country’s news media.

The commission said its investigation aims to determine whether similar competition and consumer protection issues exist in Nigeria, and whether any regulatory action is warranted.