President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to immediately investigate major global technology companies, including Google (Alphabet), Meta, X (formerly Twitter), and certain Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms, over allegations of anti-competitive practices and the unlawful exploitation of Nigerian media organisations’ content.
The directive follows a joint petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), an umbrella body representing 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 investigation will examine claims of unauthorised extraction, scraping, ingestion, and use of Nigerian news content without fair compensation or authorisation, as well as other potentially unfair market conduct that may undermine the sustainability of the nation’s media industry.
In a statement, the FCCPC affirmed that the probe will be independent, transparent, and evidence-based, in line with the provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 and other relevant laws. The Commission will assess whether the practices of these platforms constitute anti-competitive behaviour or violations of consumer protection standards.
President Tinubu’s administration remains committed to protecting Nigerian businesses, promoting fair competition, and ensuring that the digital economy benefits local content creators and media organisations. This action demonstrates the government’s resolve to safeguard intellectual property rights and foster a balanced and equitable digital ecosystem.
The FCCPC has been mandated to report its findings and recommendations to the Presidency within a stipulated timeframe for further necessary action.