Following Meta Platforms Inc.’s warning that it may cease operations in Nigeria, social media users across the country have called for the development of indigenous networking platforms.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, threatened to shut down its Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria after a tribunal upheld a \$220 million fine against the company last year.
In separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday, users said establishing homegrown platforms would make regulation and data protection easier to enforce in the country.
Mr. Moses Atuegwu, a WhatsApp user, described Meta’s exit threat as “uncalled for” considering the large Nigerian user base. He added, “We cannot continue to be controlled by these foreign platforms. We should have an alternative that is indigenous based.”
Ms. Pearl Adekunle, a user of WhatsApp and Instagram, said homegrown platforms would allow Nigeria to better scrutinise online content and boost local technology and the economy. She noted, “China and Russia have their own indigenous social media platforms, and this enhances the data protection policy of their governments. Nothing stops Nigeria from adopting the same to promote and advance indigenous technologies.”
Esther Indiana-Obong, a Facebook subscriber, said that creating indigenous platforms would foster competition and innovation in Nigeria’s IT sector while reducing dependence on foreign brands.
Alhaji Aminu Zakari, also a social media user, pointed out that a local platform would help the government regulate social media more effectively.
Meta’s threat followed the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal’s decision in July 2024 to uphold a $220 million fine against Meta Platforms Inc. and WhatsApp LLC for violating the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) and Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR). The tribunal also ordered Meta to pay $35,000 as investigation costs.
According to the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC), Meta’s violations include denying Nigerians control over their personal data, transferring user data without authorisation, discriminating against Nigerian users compared to those in other regions, and abusing its dominant market position through unfair privacy policies.
The FCCPC described Meta’s exit threat as a calculated move to induce public pressure on the commission.
