The Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO) has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for directing the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate the operations of major global technology companies and generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms over allegations of anti competitive practices and exploitation of Nigerian media content.
The NPO described the directive as a significant milestone in efforts to protect Nigeria’s media industry from what it called the unfair commercial practices of dominant digital platforms, adding that the investigation could pave the way for greater accountability within the digital ecosystem as stated in a statement signed by the deputy president of the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria and the Nigerian Press Organisation, Mr. Frank Aigbogun in Abuja, Tuesday.
The organisation said the presidential directive followed a joint petition submitted to the federal government by its constituent bodies, 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 NPO said the petition was presented during a meeting with President Tinubu in March, where the delegation raised concerns over what it described as the existential threat posed to Nigeria’s media industry by global technology companies and AI platforms operating in the country.
The organisation added that beyond their alleged anti competitive practices, the lack of transparency and accountability by the technology companies pose serious consequences for journalism as a public interest institution.
It noted that for years, the sustainability of Nigeria’s media ecosystem has been undermined by the business practices of dominant digital platforms, including Meta, Alphabet, X (formerly Twitter), and several generative AI companies, accusing them of using original journalistic content without providing fair compensation to Nigerian publishers.
The NPO described the investigation as the first major step towards holding global technology companies accountable, adding that similar regulatory efforts in other countries, including South Africa, have demonstrated the need for stronger oversight of digital platforms.
The organisation also welcomed the assurance by the chief executive officer of the FCCPC, Mr. Tunji Bello, to conduct an independent, transparent and evidence based inquiry following the request of the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
It pledged the full cooperation of all its member organisations with the FCCPC throughout the investigation, promising to provide relevant evidence to support the inquiry and contribute to building a fair, competitive digital economy that protects Nigerian publishers, respects national sovereignty and promotes sustainable journalism.