Threat to exit Nigeria does not absolve you of liabilities, FG tells Facebook, Instagram

THE Federal Government, through the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), on Saturday told Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, that threatening to leave Nigeria does not absolve it of liabilities for the outcome of a judicial process.

The FCCPC disclosed this in a statement on Saturday evening following reports that Meta may be forced to shut down its services in Nigeria over escalating tension with government regulators.

The company is currently facing fines totalling approximately $290 million (N223 billion) imposed by three Nigerian regulatory bodies for alleged violations of competition, advertising and data privacy laws.

Meta unsuccessfully challenged the penalties at the Federal High Court, Abuja, which ordered it to pay the fines before the end of June 2025.

However, while reacting to the threat of leaving Nigeria, FCCPC on Saturday said the threat by Meta to leave Nigeria does not absolve it of liabilities regarding the judicial process.

The FCCPC in a statement by its Director, Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, said the claim appears to be a calculated move aimed at inducing negative public reaction and potentially pressuring the FCCPC to reconsider its decision.

It wrote: “The FCCPC investigated Meta Platforms and WhatsApp (jointly referred to as “Meta Parties”) for allegedly violating the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR).

“The commission found that Meta Parties engaged in multiple and repeated infringements of the FCCPA (2018) and the NDPR.

“These infringements included denying Nigerians the right to control their personal data, transferring and sharing Nigerian user data without authorisation, discriminating against Nigerian users compared to users in other jurisdictions and abusing their dominant market position by forcing unfair privacy policies.

“Interestingly, Meta had been fined for similar breaches in Texas ($1.5 billion) and only recently was asked to pay $1.3 billion for violating EU Data Privacy Rules. Elsewhere in India, South Korea, France and Australia, Meta had faced varying penalties for similar breaches. But Meta never resorted to the blackmail of threatening to exit those countries. They obeyed.

“The recent affirmation of FCCPC’s final order by the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal requires Meta Parties to take steps to comply with Nigerian law, stop exploiting Nigerian consumers, change their practices to meet Nigerian standards and respect consumer rights, consistent with international best practices.”

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