Meta Threatens to Withdraw Facebook and Instagram from Nigeria Amid Regulatory Dispute
Nigerians could potentially lose access to Facebook and Instagram following a standoff between tech giant Meta and regulatory bodies in the country. The company is currently facing more than $290 million in fines from three Nigerian agencies, which it describes as excessive and based on “unrealistic” expectations.
Meta, which also owns WhatsApp, has been entangled in legal challenges since last year after Nigerian authorities penalized the company for alleged violations related to competition, advertising standards, and data protection. However, the recent ruling by a federal high court in Abuja did not favor Meta’s bid to overturn the fines.
In legal documents, Meta suggested that it might be forced to shut down Facebook and Instagram in Nigeria if the enforcement continues. The court has given Meta until the end of June to pay the penalties.
Although WhatsApp was not mentioned in Meta’s legal filings, Facebook remains the country’s leading social media platform, widely used by individuals and small businesses alike.
The fines include:
A $220 million penalty from the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) for alleged anti-competitive behavior
A $37.5 million fine from the advertising regulatory authority for running unapproved advertisements
A $32.8 million charge from the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) for alleged breaches of data privacy laws
According to FCCPC head Adamu Abdullahi, investigations between May 2021 and December 2023 revealed violations affecting Nigerian consumers’ data, though details were not disclosed.
Meta has taken particular issue with the data protection commission’s demands, which include requiring prior government approval before transferring users’ data out of Nigeria—something Meta has called impractical. Other demands include hosting educational content on data privacy, produced with state-approved partners.
Meta criticized these conditions as unworkable, claiming the NDPC had misinterpreted the legal framework around data protection.
The BBC has reached out to Meta for further comment, but no response has been received so far.
