Nigerian authorities announced on Monday an investigation targeting digital giants, including Meta, Alphabet and X, as well as generative artificial intelligence platforms, following complaints from the media sector about practices deemed potentially anti-competitive.

According to a statement released Monday by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), the investigation follows a directive from Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after receiving a petition from the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO).

The NPO comprises the Newspaper Owners Association of Nigeria (NPAN), the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Association of Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) and the Corporate Online Publishers Guild (GOCOP).

Press organizations accuse certain digital platforms of illegally exploiting journalistic content, undermining the economic viability of Nigerian media and limiting the remuneration opportunities of content producers.

"We recognize the strategic importance of media to Nigerian democracy as well as the critical role of technology in innovation and economic growth," said FCCPC Managing Director Tunji Bello in the statement.

"Our responsibility is to establish the facts objectively and to ensure that competition in the digital ecosystem remains fair and transparent," he added.

Mr. Bello indicated that the investigation is still ongoing and that no conclusions have yet been reached.

"Each party will have the opportunity to present relevant information before any conclusions are drawn," he stated.

Points examined include allegations of abuse of dominant position, the alleged use of press content for training generative AI models, and the lack of fair commercial agreements with Nigerian publishers.

According to the National Communications Commission, Nigeria had 154.7 million internet subscriptions in April. WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram, and X are among the most popular platforms in the country.

Contacted by AFP, Meta, Alphabet, and X did not immediately respond to our requests. The press release did not provide any details about the identity of the artificial intelligence companies under investigation.

This case is part of an international context of growing tensions between media and digital platforms.

Several countries, including Canada and Australia, have already obtained or initiated measures aimed at compelling platforms like Meta and Google to pay media outlets for content that generates traffic to their services.

These digital giants are regularly accused of receiving the majority of online advertising revenue, to the detriment of press publishers.

In 2025, the FCCPC fined Meta $220 million for alleged violations of Nigerian competition and consumer protection laws.