Meta, the big American company that owns Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, has said it might stop Nigerians from using Facebook and Instagram very soon. This is because the Nigerian government says Meta broke some important rules and now wants the company to pay over $290 million (about ₦436 billion) in fines.
Three government agencies — the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), and the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) — looked into Meta’s actions from May 2021 to December 2023. After their investigations, they said Meta did three main things wrong:
- FCCPC fined Meta $220 million for behaving in ways that were unfair to other companies (anti-competitive practices).
- ARCON fined Meta $37.5 million for showing adverts that weren’t approved or followed Nigerian advertising rules.
- NDPC fined Meta $32.8 million for not keeping Nigerians’ private data safe and breaking data protection laws.
Meta disagreed with the fines and went to court. But the Federal High Court in Abuja said Meta must pay the fines by June 2025.
Now, Meta is warning that it might have to shut down Facebook and Instagram in Nigeria because of all the problems and risks. In court documents, the company said, “The applicant may be forced to effectively shut down the Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria to mitigate the risk of enforcement measures.”
This means that if the problems aren’t solved, many Nigerians might not be able to use Facebook or Instagram anymore.
Why is This a Big Deal?
Facebook is the most popular social media platform in Nigeria. Millions of people use it every day to talk with friends and family, read the news, buy and sell things, or promote their businesses. If it gets shut down, it could make life very difficult for many people, especially small business owners and young content creators.
What About WhatsApp? For now, WhatsApp is not affected. But Meta is very worried about the new rules from the NDPC, especially the rule that says Meta must get special approval before sending Nigerian users’ data to other countries. Meta says this rule is not realistic.
To help solve the problems, Meta has said it will:
- Add a learning section on Facebook and Instagram to teach users about staying safe online.
- Work with Nigerian schools and NGOs to create fun and easy-to-understand videos about how data can be used and why it’s important to protect personal information.
Still, Meta believes the Nigerian Data Protection Commission is making things confusing and misreading the rules.
What Happens Next?
Unless something changes, Meta must pay the fines or shut down Facebook and Instagram in Nigeria by June 2025. This story is still developing, and many Nigerians are waiting to see what will happen.
