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Last year, three Nigerian oversight agencies imposed fines on the US-based social media giant totalling more than USD 290m (£218m) for violating various laws and regulations. Meta was unsuccessful in a recent attempt to challenge the decisions in the Abuja High Court.
Tensions are rising between African governments and Big Tech, with Nigeria demanding USD 290 million from Facebook for alleged data and competition law violations. The U.S. tech giant has pushed back, hinting at a potential withdrawal from the market, which could have wide-ranging implications for digital access and online business in Africa’s most populous country.
The dispute adds to growing regional calls for fair taxation, data protection, and local content promotion in the digital economy. Uganda, Kenya, and other African nations are reportedly pursuing similar efforts to rein in tech giants and increase tax revenues from online services.
Last year, three Nigerian oversight agencies imposed fines on the US-based social media giant aggregating more than USD 290m (£218m) for violating various laws and regulations. Meta was unsuccessful in a recent attempt to challenge the decisions in the Abuja High Court.
Meta also owns WhatsApp, but it did not mention the messaging service in its statement. The high court has given the company until the end of June to pay the fines.
Facebook is by far the most popular social media platform in Nigeria and is used by tens of millions in the country for daily communication and sharing news. It is also a vital tool for many of Nigeria’s small online businesses.
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In July last year, Meta was asked to pay three fines:
The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) imposed a USD 220m fine for alleged anti-competitive. The advertising regulator fined the company USD 37.5m over unapproved advertising And the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) alleged Meta had violated data privacy laws and fined it USD 32.8m.
FCCPC chief executive officer Adamu Abdullahi said investigations carried out in conjunction with the data commission between May 2021 and December 2023 revealed “invasive practices against data subjects/consumers in Nigeria” but was not specific about what these were.
In its court submission, Meta said its “primary concern” was with the data commission, which it accused of “misinterpreting” data privacy laws. Specifically, the commission has demanded that Meta seek prior approval before transferring any personal data out of Nigeria – a condition that Meta called “unrealistic”.
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