By Habeeb Ibrahim
The Nigerian government has declared that Meta, the parent company of Facebook, WhatsApp, and Instagram, must pay nearly $290 million in regulatory fines, regardless of its recent threats to exit the country.
This firm stance follows weeks of tension between the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and Meta over alleged repeated violations of Nigerian consumer and data protection laws.
In a statement titled “Quitting Nigeria Does Not Absolve Meta of Liability”, the FCCPC described Meta’s exit threats as a calculated attempt to whip up public sympathy and pressure regulators to back down. “Threatening to leave Nigeria does not absolve Meta of liabilities for the outcome of a judicial process,” the Commission stated.
Meta, owned by billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, had cited what it termed “unrealistic” demands from the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) and FCCPC, including requirements for prior approval of cross-border data transfers and embedding government-approved privacy videos into their platforms.
But FCCPC insists Meta must comply. According to Ondaje Ijagwu, Director of Corporate Affairs at the Commission, “Meta Parties engaged in multiple and repeated infringements of the FCCPA and NDPR, transferring user data without consent, discriminating against Nigerians, and abusing its dominant position.”
In April 2025, the Federal High Court in Abuja upheld the fines and regulatory orders, giving Meta until June to pay up.
Observers say Meta’s threats ring hollow, pointing to how the tech giant complied with similar rulings in other countries. “Meta paid $1.5 billion in Texas and $1.3 billion in the EU without threatening to pull out,” said Ijagwu. “Why should Nigeria be different?”
Nigeria’s message to Mark Zuckerberg is clear: whether Meta stays or goes, it must respect local laws and pay its dues.
