Nigerians may soon lose access to Facebook and Instagram as Meta, the parent company of both platforms, warns it may be forced to shut down operations in the country due to hefty fines and what it describes as “unrealistic” regulatory demands from Nigerian authorities.
Last year, three Nigerian regulatory bodies jointly imposed fines exceeding $290 million (£218 million) on the U.S.-based tech giant, accusing it of breaching various laws and guidelines.
Meta’s legal challenge to the sanctions at the Federal High Court in Abuja was unsuccessful. In court documents, the company stated it “may be forced to effectively shut down the Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria in order to mitigate the risk of enforcement measures.”
While Meta also owns WhatsApp, the company made no mention of the messaging platform in its court filings.
The court has given Meta until the end of June to pay the fines.
Facebook remains Nigeria’s most widely used social media platform, relied upon daily by tens of millions of users for communication, news, and business. Many small and medium-sized enterprises across the country depend on it to reach customers and drive sales.
The penalties levied on Meta include a $220 million fine from the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) for alleged anti-competitive behavior; a $37.5 million fine from Nigeria’s advertising regulator for running unauthorized adverts; and a $32.8 million fine from the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) for alleged violations of data privacy laws.
Adamu Abdullahi, CEO of the FCCPC, said joint investigations by his agency and the data commission between May 2021 and December 2023 uncovered “invasive practices against data subjects/consumers in Nigeria,” though he did not specify the exact violations.
Meta, in its court filing, expressed particular concern about the NDPC’s demands, accusing the agency of misinterpreting data protection laws. One of the NDPC’s key requirements is that Meta obtain prior approval before transferring any Nigerian user data abroad— a demand the company labeled “unrealistic.”
The commission also directed Meta to feature an icon linking to educational videos on data privacy risks, developed in collaboration with approved academic institutions and non-profit organizations.
These videos must warn users about the potential dangers of “manipulative and unfair data processing,” which could result in health or financial harm.
Meta rejected these conditions, saying they are impractical and based on a flawed understanding of data privacy regulations.
Nurudeen Akewushola is an investigative reporter and fact-checker with The ICIR. He believes courageous in-depth investigative reporting is the key to social justice, accountability and good governance in society. You can reach him via nyahaya@icirnigeria.org and @NurudeenAkewus1 on Twitter.