President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate major global technology companies and Generative Artificial Intelligence platforms over allegations of anti-competitive practices and the unlawful exploitation of Nigerian media content.
The directive follows a joint petition by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), an umbrella body that includes the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), and the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers.
Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, conveyed the President’s directive to the FCCPC.
According to a statement by the FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, the investigation targets companies such as Meta, Alphabet (Google’s parent company), and X (formerly Twitter), along with certain Generative AI platforms operating in Nigeria.
The media organisations allege that these platforms engage in practices that undermine fair competition, threaten the commercial viability of Nigerian media houses, and violate the rights of content creators and publishers.
Key issues include the unauthorised scraping and use of copyrighted news content for AI training and monetisation without fair compensation.
FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman and CEO, Tunji Bello, assured that the commission will carry out an independent, transparent, and evidence-based investigation.
“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,” Bello said.
The probe will examine possible breaches of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018, including market dominance, anti-competitive conduct, and denial of fair negotiation opportunities for Nigerian publishers.
The development reflects growing global concerns over the relationship between traditional media and big tech platforms.
Several countries have introduced regulations requiring digital platforms to compensate news publishers for using their content.
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