News
FG orders FCCPC probe into Meta, Google, X and AI platforms over Nigeria media petition
The Federal Government has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate Meta, Alphabet, X and several Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms following a petition by Nigeria’s media industry alleging anti-competitive practices and the unauthorised use of journalistic content.
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.
Health
NNMDA says funding challenges, infrastructure gaps slowing herbal medicine research, integration into healthcare
The Nigeria Natural Medicine Development Agency (NNMDA) has identified inadequate funding, weak research infrastructure and equipment shortages as major obstacles to developing and integrating herbal medicine into Nigeria’s healthcare system.
The Director-General of the agency, Martins Emeje, disclosed this on Tuesday during a one-day working visit by the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Kingsley Udeh, to the agency’s headquarters in Lagos.
Mr Emeje said the challenges have slowed efforts to validate traditional medicines scientifically and develop locally produced herbal products that can be safely incorporated into healthcare.
The NNMDA is Nigeria’s only trans-cultural medical research agency responsible for researching, developing and promoting natural medicines derived from the country’s biodiversity.
Funding and infrastructure challenges
According to Mr Emeje, the agency lacks adequate funding to acquire critical research equipment and expand its scientific infrastructure.
He also identified low public awareness of the agency’s activities, inadequate staffing and limited opportunities for capacity development as constraints affecting its operations.
The agency said it also needs to expand its research and development facilities, including experimental medicinal plant farms across the country’s six geopolitical zones, while strengthening pre-clinical and clinical studies needed to establish the safety and effectiveness of herbal medicines.
Mr Emeje further raised concerns over what he described as unclear guidelines for the clinical evaluation of herbal medicines and their integration into Nigeria’s healthcare system.
He added that traditional medicine knowledge continues to suffer from poor public perception despite Nigeria’s rich biodiversity and abundance of medicinal plants.
Call for clinical laboratory
The agency’s director-general said one of its most urgent needs is a clinical observation laboratory to support scientific evaluation of herbal medicines.
He also requested the construction of chalets to accommodate researchers who often work beyond normal office hours.
Responding, Mr Udeh acknowledged the agency’s request and said the ministry would explore alternative financing options instead of relying solely on government budget allocations.
“The clinical observatory lab, which has been one of the major needs of the agency that’s been brought to my attention, is something that even the DG has mentioned, and we are not talking about taking the responsibility to have it done by tomorrow,” Mr Udeh said.
“We are sitting down today to innovatively identify ways of accessing funds to have it done. It mustn’t be budgeted funds. From what we are doing here, stakeholders can support in doing it. Stakeholders from the private sector can support it. We can also access some grants and other funds that we can use to make this a reality.”
The minister added that some ‘stakeholders’ had already expressed willingness to support the agency’s work.
Nigeria-India collaboration
During the visit, India’s Consul in Lagos, Kannan Chockalingam, called for stronger collaboration between Nigeria and India in traditional medicine.
He said the partnership could focus on biodiversity conservation, quality assurance, scientific validation and innovation in herbal medicine.
According to him, innovation in traditional medicine involves applying modern scientific methods to validate and standardise existing indigenous knowledge, creating opportunities for research, product development and integration into national healthcare systems.
READ ALSO: Digital tools alone cannot fix Nigeria’s health system — Experts
Seven herbal products unveiled
The minister also unveiled seven locally developed herbal products designed for the management of conditions including cancer, hepatitis, peptic ulcers, high cholesterol, hypertension and male sexual health.
He commended Mr Emeje for his leadership and pledged to engage industry stakeholders to accelerate the commercialisation of the agency’s herbal products.
“We will engage industry leaders on how to get these products into the market,” Mr Udeh said.
-
News3 days agoMonday.com is the latest tech company to blame AI for layoffs — here are 20 others
-
Events15 hours ago
PLABOMA Visits NOA, Commends State Director for Social Media Day Keynote
-
News2 days ago
Are brain waves the next unlock for physical AI?
-
News15 hours ago
Plateau CBM Youths Pledge 1m Votes For Tinubu In 2027 Elections
