The technology giant’s response followed the announcement by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) that it had launched an inquiry into alleged anti-competitive practices, the use of news content without proper authorisation and other issues involving global technology platforms and artificial intelligence companies operating in Nigeria.
A Google spokesperson, while responding to inquiries on Wednesday, said the company remained committed to Nigeria and would engage with authorities throughout the process.
“We remain committed to Nigeria and the success of its news and creative ecosystem. We will engage constructively with the FCCPC to support the process and demonstrate the value our products and partnerships bring to Nigerian users, publishers and businesses,” the spokesperson said.
The company’s statement comes after President Bola Tinubu directed the FCCPC to examine complaints submitted by the Nigerian Press Organisation, which represents newspaper proprietors, journalists, broadcasters and online publishers across the country.
The concerns raised by media stakeholders centre on the growing dominance of global digital platforms and the possible impact of their business models on local news organisations. Publishers have argued that activities such as content scraping, artificial intelligence training and digital content distribution could affect the ability of Nigerian media companies to generate sustainable revenue.
The FCCPC said the investigation would focus on whether the activities of major technology firms, including Alphabet Inc., Meta Platforms and X Corp., comply with Nigeria’s competition laws or contribute to unfair market conditions.
The regulator is also examining allegations concerning the unauthorised extraction, ingestion and commercial use of copyrighted journalistic materials in the development and training of artificial intelligence systems.
FCCPC Chief Executive Officer Tunji Bello said the inquiry would be conducted independently, transparently and based on evidence, noting that the investigation was not an assumption that any company had violated the law.
The commission added that all parties affected by the inquiry would be given the opportunity to provide relevant information and make submissions before any final decisions were reached.
Google’s willingness to cooperate reflects the company’s approach as Nigeria increases scrutiny of the influence of large technology platforms on the country’s digital economy, online advertising market and media industry.
The investigation comes amid a wider international debate over the relationship between technology companies and news publishers. Media organisations in several countries have argued that their journalism contributes significantly to the value generated by search engines, social platforms and artificial intelligence systems, while seeking greater compensation and stronger protections for their content.
Governments in some jurisdictions have introduced or considered regulations requiring technology companies to negotiate commercial arrangements with news publishers whose content appears on their platforms.
For Nigeria, the outcome of the FCCPC’s inquiry could play a significant role in shaping future rules around digital competition, artificial intelligence development, copyright protection and the relationship between global technology companies and local content creators.
As regulators, publishers and technology firms continue discussions, the investigation is expected to influence how Nigeria balances innovation in the digital sector with the need to protect the sustainability of its media industry.