Meta Platforms has warned it may be forced to suspend Facebook and Instagram in Nigeria after failing to overturn more than $290 million in penalties from three federal agencies.
In late 2024, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission fined Meta $220 million for alleged anti‑competitive practices, the advertising regulator slapped a $37.5 million charge for unapproved ads, and the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) imposed a $32.8 million penalty for data‑privacy breaches.
After its appeal in Abuja’s federal high court was dismissed, Meta told the court it “may be forced to effectively shut down” its services in Nigeria if it cannot meet what it calls “unrealistic” demands, most notably obtaining prior approval for any transfer of personal data out of the country and embedding government‑approved educational links about data‑privacy risks. Meta argues these requirements misinterpret Nigeria’s data laws and are operationally unfeasible.
WhatsApp, also owned by Meta, was not mentioned in the filings. The court has given the company until the end of June to pay or negotiate the fines. With Facebook serving tens of millions of Nigerians daily and underpinning countless small online businesses, any shutdown would carry major social and economic consequences.
