…Over alleged infringement against Nigerian media organisations
Big technology companies have come under the radar of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) following allegations of anti-competitive practices, unlawful exploitation of news content, and other potentially unfair market conduct.
Also to be investigated are Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms operating in Nigeria.
This is sequel to a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR to FCCPC to look into a joint petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO).
The NPO comprises 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 Federal Government’s position was communicated to the FCCPC in a letter signed by the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris.
The investigation promises to open a new vista in Nigeria’s media history. In recent years, concerns have been raised by the Nigerian media industry over the growing impact of certain digital platforms on the sustainability of the country’s news ecosystem.
Specifically, the NPO is increasingly uncomfortable with major technology companies including Meta, Alphabet, X (formerly Twitter), and certain Generative AI platforms, citing practices capable of undermining fair competition, the commercial viability of Nigerian media organisations, and the legitimate rights of content creators and publishers.
Reacting, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Mr. Tunji Bello, reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to conducting an independent, transparent, and evidence-based investigation.
“We recognise the strategic importance of the media to Nigeria’s democracy and the equally significant role of technology in driving innovation and economic growth. Our responsibility is to objectively determine the facts and ensure that competition within the digital ecosystem remains fair, transparent, and consistent with Nigerian law,” said Bello.
Clarifying the issues, Bello added that, “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. Every party will be accorded a fair opportunity to present relevant information before any conclusions are reached.”
In specific terms, FCCPC will determine whether the practices in question constitute a breach of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 or any other applicable law.
In the past, FCCPC had investigated META and in 2025 won a landmark case against the tech giant for violations of FCCPA including data breach, for which the tech giant was fined $220m. Meta has however appealed the fine.
Under the new investigation, areas of interest include allegations of market dominance and potential anti-competitive conduct. Second is the allegation of unauthorised extraction, scraping, ingestion, or commercial utilisation of copyrighted news articles, broadcast materials, and other original journalistic content for the development and training of Generative Artificial Intelligence models. Third is the concern regarding the lack of equitable commercial engagement between global tech companies and Nigerian news publishers. Central to this is the allegation that affected media organisations have been denied meaningful opportunities to negotiate fair compensation or appropriate commercial arrangements for the use of their journalistic content.
Incidentally, following similar agitation by media organisations in South Africa and investigation by the South African Competition Commission, it was finally negotiated that Google compensate South African news media by R688 million ($40 million) annually for three to five years.
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