By Progress Godfrey

ABUJA — The Federal Government has directed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate X (formerly Twitter), Meta, other major technology companies and Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) firms over allegations of anti-competitive practices affecting Nigeria’s media industry.

The directive followed a joint petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), comprising the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), 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).

According to a statement issued by the FCCPC on Monday, the directive was conveyed in a letter signed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, requesting the commission to investigate the allegations contained in the petition.

The petition alleges that companies including Meta, Alphabet, X and some Generative AI platforms engage in practices that may undermine fair competition, affect the commercial viability of Nigerian media organisations and impact the rights of publishers and content creators.

The FCCPC said its investigation will examine allegations relating to market dominance, the alleged unauthorised scraping and commercial use of copyrighted news content to train Generative AI models, as well as concerns over the absence of fair commercial agreements between global technology companies and Nigerian news publishers.

Commenting on the directive, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Mr. Tunji Bello, said the commission would conduct 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,” Bello said.

He stressed that the investigation should not be interpreted as a finding of wrongdoing against any organisation, noting that all parties involved would be given the opportunity to present their positions before any conclusions are reached.

According to him, the commission will determine whether any conduct violates the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018 or any other applicable law.

The FCCPC also noted that it had previously investigated Meta and, in 2025, imposed a $220 million administrative penalty over alleged violations of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act. The company has appealed the decision.