President Bola Tinubu’s decision to direct the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate major technology companies and generative artificial intelligence platforms has sparked mixed reactions among Nigerians, with supporters describing it as a necessary step to protect local media, while critics fear it could affect digital freedoms.
The directive followed complaints by Nigerian media organisations that global tech companies benefit from locally produced news content without providing fair financial returns to publishers. On social media, opinions were sharply divided. Some users argued that the move could be used to limit free speech, while others praised the President for confronting the growing influence of international technology firms.
At the heart of the dispute is the increasing impact of artificial intelligence on the news industry. AI-powered tools, including ChatGPT, Google’s AI-generated search summaries and similar features on X, now provide users with direct answers by drawing information from online news reports. As a result, many readers no longer visit the original news websites, leading to significant declines in audience traffic and advertising revenue.
Nigeria’s digital media industry has been particularly affected. Industry figures show that visits to local news platforms dropped by more than 26 per cent in 2025, falling from over one billion visits recorded the previous year. Since advertising income is closely tied to website traffic, the decline has placed additional financial pressure on publishers.
The challenge is not unique to Nigeria. News organisations across the world have reported traffic losses ranging from 15 to 40 per cent in areas most affected by AI-generated search results, resulting in reduced advertising earnings, newsroom cutbacks and job losses.
Another concern raised by Nigerian publishers relates to revenue distribution. Media organisations argue that African publishers receive significantly lower advertising earnings than their counterparts in Europe and North America, despite producing valuable content consumed through global digital platforms.
These concerns prompted the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), which represents newspaper owners, broadcasters, journalists and online publishers, to petition the Federal Government. The group accused major technology companies, including Google, Meta, X and some AI developers, of engaging in practices that weaken competition, exploit journalistic content and threaten the long-term sustainability of Nigeria’s media industry.
Following the petition, President Tinubu instructed the FCCPC to examine the allegations. The directive was conveyed through the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
According to the competition regulator, the investigation is intended to establish the facts rather than presume wrongdoing. FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman Tunji Bello said the commission would ensure all affected parties are given an opportunity to present their positions while determining whether any violations of Nigeria’s competition and consumer protection laws have occurred.
The inquiry will focus on allegations of market dominance by major technology companies, the unauthorised use of copyrighted news content for training AI systems, and claims that publishers have been denied fair commercial negotiations or compensation for the use of their work.
If the investigation leads to policy or regulatory changes, it could strengthen Nigeria’s media sector by improving revenue opportunities for publishers and encouraging fairer relationships between technology companies and content creators. For Nigerians, the outcome may result in a more sustainable local news industry, better-quality journalism and greater transparency in how AI platforms source and use information.
