The investigation, ordered by President Bola Tinubu through Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, marks one of Nigeria’s most significant regulatory interventions in the country’s digital platform economy. Beyond competition concerns, the probe could redefine how global technology companies engage with Nigerian news publishers, particularly over the use of copyrighted content to develop AI systems.

The directive follows a joint petition submitted by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), comprising 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).

At the heart of the complaint are allegations that dominant technology platforms have exploited Nigerian news content without authorisation or compensation while consolidating their market power through digital advertising, search, social media and emerging AI services.

 

The investigation, ordered by President Bola Tinubu through Mohammed Idris, Minister of Information and National Orientation, marks one of Nigeria’s most significant regulatory interventions in the country’s digital platform economy. Beyond competition concerns, the probe could redefine how global technology companies engage with Nigerian news publishers, particularly over the use of copyrighted content to develop AI systems.

 

Probe targets AI training, content scraping and market dominance, FCCPC says

According to the Federal Government, the FCCPC will investigate allegations of anti-competitive conduct, abuse of market dominance and the unauthorised extraction, scraping, ingestion and commercial use of copyrighted newspaper articles, broadcast materials and other original journalistic works for the development and training of Generative AI models.

The inquiry will also examine whether Nigerian media organisations have been denied meaningful opportunities to negotiate licensing agreements or fair commercial compensation for the use of their content by global technology companies.

If upheld, the allegations could have far-reaching implications for AI governance in Nigeria, particularly around the use of copyrighted local content to train large language models and other generative AI systems.

The investigation places Nigeria alongside a growing number of countries seeking to balance technological innovation with intellectual property protection, fair competition and the long-term sustainability of journalism.

FCCPC promises independent investigation

Tunji Bello, FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, says the Commission will conduct an impartial and evidence-based inquiry.

“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,” Bello says, “is to objectively determine the facts and ensure that competition within the digital ecosystem remains fair, transparent, and consistent with Nigerian law.”

Bello stressed that the investigation should not be interpreted as a finding of liability against any company.

“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,” Bello adds.

According to the Commission, the inquiry will determine whether the alleged conduct breaches the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018 or any other applicable Nigerian law.

 

“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,” Bello says, “is to objectively determine the facts and ensure that competition within the digital ecosystem remains fair, transparent, and consistent with Nigerian law.”

 

Meta faces fresh scrutiny

The latest investigation extends the FCCPC’s regulatory engagement with Meta, which remains one of the Nigerian competition watchdog’s most closely scrutinised global technology companies.

In 2025, the FCCPC secured a landmark judgment against Meta over violations of the FCCPA, including consumer protection and data privacy-related breaches, resulting in a $220 million penalty. The company has appealed the ruling.

The fresh inquiry broadens regulatory attention from consumer protection and privacy to include competition law, copyright, digital markets and AI development practices.

For Meta and other global technology companies, the investigation could influence how AI systems are trained using Nigerian digital content and whether publishers become entitled to licensing agreements or compensation for the commercial use of their intellectual property.

Nigeria joins global push to regulate Big Tech

The FCCPC’s action reflects an emerging international trend in which governments are reassessing the commercial relationship between digital platforms and news publishers.

Across several jurisdictions, regulators have introduced measures requiring major technology companies to negotiate with news organisations over the use of journalistic content.

In South Africa, following an investigation by the Competition Commission, Google agreed to provide annual financial support of R68 million to qualifying news publishers for between three and five years as part of efforts to address imbalances in the digital news ecosystem.

Similar regulatory frameworks have been introduced in Australia and Canada, where governments have required dominant digital platforms to negotiate compensation arrangements with eligible news organisations.

What investigation of Big Tech means for Nigerian media

The Nigerian media industry argues that while global technology companies derive significant commercial value from news content distributed through search engines, social media platforms and AI systems, publishers receive little economic benefit despite bearing the costs of producing original journalism.

The FCCPC investigation therefore extends beyond a competition inquiry. It could establish important precedents for digital platform regulation, AI governance, copyright protection and the future commercial relationship between technology companies and Nigerian news publishers.

Its outcome may also shape Nigeria’s broader digital economy policy by clarifying how competition law applies to Generative AI platforms, online intermediaries and the use of locally produced content in the age of artificial intelligence.