The Nigerian Press Organisation has welcomed President Bola Tinubu’s directive to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to investigate major global technology companies and generative artificial intelligence platforms operating in Nigeria.
The organisation said the move was an important step toward addressing concerns over the use of Nigerian media content by dominant digital platforms.
Mr Frank Aigbogun, Deputy President of the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Press Organisation, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja.
Aigbogun said the President’s directive followed a joint petition submitted to the Federal Government by the NPO.
The petition was backed by major media bodies, including the Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, Nigerian Guild of Editors, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria and the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers.
According to him, the NPO delegation had met President Tinubu in March to raise concerns about the threat posed to Nigerian media by Big Tech and AI companies.
He said the media industry approached the government because of growing fears that digital platforms were weakening the commercial survival of journalism in Nigeria.
Aigbogun said the NPO was pleased that the Federal Government had now begun a formal investigation into the matter.
He said the issue went beyond business competition because journalism serves an important public-interest role in society.
According to him, lack of transparency and accountability by powerful technology platforms could have serious consequences for credible news production and democratic information flow.
Aigbogun said Nigeria’s vibrant media ecosystem was under pressure from what he described as unfair market practices by dominant digital platforms.
He listed some of the companies involved as Meta, Alphabet, X, formerly known as Twitter, and several generative AI platforms.
The NPO official alleged that these platforms benefit from original journalistic content without providing fair compensation to Nigerian publishers and news organisations.
He said such practices could damage the long-term sustainability of local media houses, especially as advertising revenue and audience attention increasingly shift to digital platforms.
Aigbogun described Tinubu’s directive as a major development in efforts to hold global technology companies accountable in Nigeria.
He said similar debates were already taking place in other parts of the world, including countries where regulators have examined how digital platforms use and monetise news content.
The NPO also welcomed the assurance by FCCPC Chief Executive Officer, Mr Tunji Bello, that the inquiry would be independent, transparent and evidence-based.
Aigbogun said the organisation and its member bodies were ready to cooperate fully with the FCCPC during the investigation.
He said the NPO would provide evidence and support that could help the regulator reach a fair and balanced outcome.
According to him, the goal is to promote a digital economy that respects Nigerian sovereignty, protects local publishers and encourages fair competition.
The investigation is expected to examine allegations of market dominance, anti-competitive conduct, unauthorised use of news content and the possible use of journalistic material by AI systems.
The NPO said a fair digital media environment would help protect journalism, strengthen public-interest reporting and support the survival of Nigerian news organisations.
The development marks a significant moment in Nigeria’s ongoing effort to regulate the relationship between local media, global technology companies and artificial intelligence platforms.
