By Chimezie Godfrey
The Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO) has welcomed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate major global technology companies and generative artificial intelligence platforms over alleged exploitation of Nigerian media content.
The organisation described the directive as a significant step towards addressing what it called the anti-competitive practices of Big Tech companies and protecting the sustainability of Nigeria’s media industry.
In a statement signed by its Deputy President, Frank Aigbogun, the NPO said the presidential directive followed a joint petition submitted by the organisation on behalf of the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) and the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP).
The group recalled that during a meeting with President Tinubu in March, it raised concerns over what it described as the “existential threat” posed by global technology firms and AI platforms to the Nigerian media industry.
”We are therefore pleased that the government has commenced this investigation. Beyond the clear and present danger posed by Big Tech’s anti-competitive behaviour, their lack of transparency and accountability also carries very serious consequences for journalism as a public-interest good,” the statement said.
According to the NPO, dominant digital platforms, including Meta, Alphabet, X (formerly Twitter) and several generative AI companies, have for years undermined the commercial viability of Nigerian media organisations by allegedly using original journalistic content without fair compensation.
The organisation said the investigation represents “a first major step in the journey to finally hold tech giants accountable,” noting that similar regulatory efforts have yielded positive results in other countries, including South Africa.
The NPO also welcomed the commitment by the Chief Executive Officer of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, Tunji Bello, to conduct what it described as an independent, transparent and evidence-based investigation following the directive conveyed through the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
It pledged the full cooperation of its member organisations with the commission, saying it would provide all necessary evidence to support the inquiry.
According to the organisation, the objective is to ensure “a balanced digital economy that respects Nigerian sovereignty and the rights of Nigerian publishers.”
The FCCPC investigation is expected to examine allegations that major digital platforms have abused their market dominance and profited from Nigerian journalistic content without adequate compensation to publishers.
Publishers Back Tinubu’s Order to Probe Big Tech, AI Firms Over News Content Exploitation
