The Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO) has lauded the directive by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, requesting that the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) probe into major global technology companies and generative artificial intelligence (AI) platforms operating in Nigeria.
The organisation said the directive followed a joint petition submitted to the Federal Government by its member bodies, including 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).
This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the NPO.
According to the statement, an NPO delegation met with President Tinubu in March to raise concerns over what it described as the existential threat posed to Nigeria’s media industry by Big Tech and AI companies operating in the country.
The organisation expressed satisfaction that the Federal Government had commenced the investigation, describing it as a major step towards addressing the anti-competitive practices of global technology firms.
According to the NPO, the lack of transparency and accountability by the companies poses a significant threat to journalism as a public-interest service.
It alleged that dominant digital platforms, including Meta, Alphabet, X (formerly Twitter) and several generative AI companies, have for years undermined fair competition by exploiting original journalistic content without providing equitable compensation to local publishers.
The organisation said the investigation marks the beginning of efforts to hold global technology companies accountable, noting that similar actions have been taken in other countries, including South Africa.
The NPO also welcomed the assurance by the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the FCCPC, Tunji Bello, to conduct an independent, transparent and evidence-based inquiry following the directive conveyed by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.
It pledged to cooperate fully with the commission throughout the investigation by providing all necessary evidence to support the inquiry.
According to the organisation, the goal is to promote a balanced digital economy that protects Nigerian publishers, respects the country’s sovereignty and ensures fair compensation for original journalistic content.