Telecom
Meta lists 22 reasons why Nigerian Tribunal should quash FCCPC’s $220 Million penalty
WhatsApp and its Parent company, Meta, have filed an appeal with the Nigerian Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal, seeking to overturn a $220 million fine imposed by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC).
The company has laid out 22 reasons why the penalty, which followed a detailed investigation, should be overturned.
At the top of its argument, Meta says the FCCPC’s directives are not just vague but also technically unfeasible. The company argues that the requirements fail to consider the operational complexities of their services and are unsupported by Nigerian law.
Specifically, Meta and WhatsApp highlight that the FCCPC’s order to “immediately reinstate the rights of Nigerian users” is unclear and imposes an unrealistic burden.
Meta disputes the FCCPC mandate to halt data sharing with other Facebook entities and third parties, arguing it is inconsistent with legal standards and industry practices. It challenges the necessity and feasibility of the proposed “remedy package,” claiming the 15-day compliance period is insufficient.
In addition, Meta asserts that the FCCPC lacked the authority to enforce certain conditions, such as requiring prior approval of privacy policies, also pointing to procedural fairness, stating that they were not given adequate opportunity to contest the findings or calculations that led to the fine.
The reasons as listed for appealing the FCCPC’s $220 million penalty are:
- Vague Directives: The directive to “immediately reinstate the rights of Nigerian users” is considered excessively vague and creates uncertainty.
- Technical Impracticality: The FCCPC’s requirements do not account for the operational complexities of WhatsApp, making compliance burdensome and technically impossible within the timeframe.
- Ambiguous Privacy Policy Order: The order regarding the privacy policy is ambiguous, given that WhatsApp users can choose not to accept the Terms of Service.
- Unjustifiable Data-Sharing Order: The order to halt sharing user data with other Facebook companies and third parties is deemed unjustifiable and against industry standards.
- Lack of Legal Basis for Privacy Policy Approval: There is no legal requirement for privacy policies to be approved by the FCCPC or the Nigeria Data Protection Commission.
- 2016 Data Sharing Practices: The directive to revert to 2016 data-sharing practices lacks a legal basis.
- Unclear Data Transfer Blockage: Instructions to stop data transfer without explicit user consent are not clear.
- No Need for Written Assurance: The requirement for a written assurance to not infringe on consumer rights is unnecessary.
- Inadequate Remedy Package Timeframe: The 15-day period for implementing a proposed remedy package is inadequate.
- Investigation Cost Reimbursement: The order to reimburse the FCCPC $35,000 for investigation costs has no legal basis.
- Excessive Penalty: The penalty is hefty and was imposed without a fair hearing.
- Impossibility of Data Consent Mechanisms: Building a consent mechanism for each data point is deemed impossible and costly.
- Audit Without Personnel Presence: The FCCPC can conduct audits without Meta’s physical presence in Nigeria.
- No Need for Prior Approval: There is no power for the FCCPC to compel prior approval of privacy policy updates.
- Extended Implementation Time: Remedy packages require more time for implementation than provided.
- No Coercion of Consumers: There is no coercion or tying of products that forecloses competition.
- Meta Not Formally Investigated: Meta was not formally investigated by the FCCPC, which ordered Meta to produce information regarding WhatsApp.
- No Evidence Against Meta: There is no evidence to warrant treating Meta as a target of the FCCPC’s orders.
- Right to Fair Hearing: The appellants argue that their right to a fair hearing was violated.
- Lack of Opportunity to Query Penalty Calculation: Meta and WhatsApp were not allowed to challenge the penalty calculation.
- No Findings Against Meta: The Final Order lacks findings of fact or law against Meta.
- Unsigned Final Order: The penalty was imposed without signatures from the Executive Chairman or Vice Chairman of the FCCPC, questioning its legitimacy.
The need for Nigeria to think outside the box in its need to drive towards global relevance with innovations and scientific developments will be on the front burner at the NITRA Innovative & Scientific Conference scheduled to hold on Thursday July 23, 2026 in Ikeja, Lagos.
NITRA
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) will lead other delegates to discuss and take far-reaching decisions at the event, which has its theme as “Bridging Nigeria’s Digital Divide With Scientific Innovation”.
Other companies that have indicated interest in partnering with NITRA include mobile communications company, Tecno; Africa’s premier end-to-end AI solutions company, Hyperspace; and telecommunications data infrastructure company, Digital Realty.
Speaking on the proposed event, the Chairman, Nigeria Information Technology Reporters Association (NITRA), Chike Onwuegbuchi noted that the event will seek to create a platform for government and private organisations to deliberate on policies around scientific innovations in Nigeria, challenges, place of indigenous and foreign collaboration, roles of each stakeholder, and grassroots development in that regard, among others.
According to him: “The Federal government, with series of programmes and partnerships, has established the urgent need to create an ecosystem that thrives on scientific innovation, breeding institutions and individuals with a target of placing the country at the fore-front of Next-Gen development.
It is a known fact that digital and scientific innovations are crucial, not only to the survivability of a nation, but also to the sustainability of its growth and development, with significant effect on economic strength, global image, defense and security, government capabilities to function, and public health and safety, communication and digital footprint, among others.
The federal government is actively driving scientific innovation to foster economic diversification and build a $1 trillion economy by 2030. Efforts are heavily focused on commercializing research, establishing massive research funds, and funding strategic infrastructure, particularly in technology, biotechnology, and healthcare. Core government initiatives and policies include the newly instituted National Research and Innovation Development Fund (NRIDF), which aims to mobilize about $500 million annually to support research and the commercialization of scientific outputs; and the Nigeria Genomic City, a multi-ministerial initiative aimed at transforming Nigeria into a leading hub for genomics, precision medicine, and biotechnology. It is designed to protect indigenous data, stimulate artificial intelligence in health, and develop a highly skilled scientific workforce.
According to the General Secretary of NITRA, Mr. Chidiebere Nwankwo, the forum will also be a vehicle to propagating the views of decision makers to the public, thereby furthering the cause of public awareness and information dissemination on the topic.
The focus, he said will be on how Nigeria can sustain digital innovative growth and scientific development in Nigeria
The board of global payments company, PayPal, says a 53 billion dollars takeover offer from financial technology firm, Stripe, and private equity company, Advent International, does not adequately reflect the company’s long-term value.
PayPal
According to reports, the proposed acquisition, valued at 60.50 dollars per share, remains under consideration, with the board yet to formally respond to the offer.
The directors are said to be evaluating not only the financial value of the proposal but also the structure of the financing, the timeline for completing the transaction and the likelihood of obtaining regulatory approvals.
They are also considering the possibility of competing bids emerging.
Although the offer represents a premium of about 28 per cent above PayPal’s recent share price, the board believes the company could deliver greater value to shareholders if its ongoing turnaround strategy succeeds.
Following reports of the bid, PayPal shares gained about two per cent to close at 56.73 dollars.
Sources familiar with the discussions said Stripe and Advent have secured approximately 50 billion dollars in debt financing from JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley, while both firms would jointly contribute 17 billion dollars in equity.
Under the proposal, the two companies would jointly own PayPal instead of dividing its operations.
PayPal, Stripe, Advent International, JPMorgan and Morgan Stanley have all declined to comment on the proposed transaction.
The discussions come as PayPal seeks to strengthen its business after years of increasing competition from rivals including Apple Pay, Google Pay and emerging financial technology firms.
The company, which was valued at about 360 billion dollars in 2021, now has a market capitalisation of approximately 36 billion dollars.
Since assuming office as Chief Executive Officer in March 2026, Enrique Lores has embarked on a restructuring programme aimed at improving operational efficiency and restoring growth.
The restructuring includes the creation of three business divisions comprising Checkout, Venmo and Consumer Financial Services, and Payments and Crypto.
The company is also targeting 1.5 billion dollars in cost savings through the deployment of artificial intelligence technologies.
PayPal’s latest financial results indicated signs of recovery, with first-quarter revenue rising seven per cent year-on-year to 8.35 billion dollars, while total payment volume increased by eight per cent to 464 billion dollars.
If approved, the transaction would combine two of the world’s largest digital payments companies.
The combined business would process an estimated 3.7 trillion dollars in annual payment volume, significantly strengthening its position in the global online payments market.
However, analysts expect the proposed acquisition to face intense regulatory scrutiny because of the companies’ combined market share in merchant payment services.
To address possible antitrust concerns, the bidders have reportedly considered options, including separating PayPal’s Braintree business or other assets if required by regulators.
Sources said Stripe and Advent remain interested in pursuing the acquisition despite the board’s reservations, although negotiations are expected to continue.
Market observers are also awaiting PayPal’s earnings report scheduled for July 28 for further indications of the company’s financial recovery and future growth prospects.
Concerns over network reliability and its impact on Nigeria’s growing creator economy took centre stage at MTN Nigeria’s Data on Trial event, where content creator and streamer, Jarvis, challenged telecommunications operators to improve connectivity for digital creators.
Speaking during the event, Jarvis asked whether there were locations in Nigeria where uninterrupted internet connectivity could support real-life (IRL) streaming without network disruptions.
“Are there places where there is no breakage when streaming IRL?” she asked.
Her question highlighted the challenges faced by content creators who depend on stable internet services for live streaming, content uploads and real-time engagement with audiences.
Responding, MTN Nigeria’s Chief Technical Officer, Mr Yahaya Ibrahim, said network performance depends on several factors, including location, network coverage, device capability and the number of users connected to a particular base station.
He noted that operators continue to invest in expanding network capacity to meet the growing demand for data services.
Earlier, MTN’s General Manager, Network Performance and Quality Assurance, Mr Michael Ndukwe, explained the evolution of mobile network technology in Nigeria, from first-generation (1G) services to the current fifth-generation (5G) technology.
According to him, each phase of technological advancement has significantly increased network capacity and enabled new digital services.
Ndukwe cited Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) data showing that Nigerians consumed about 13.2 million terabytes of data in 2025.
He added that data usage reached approximately 4.06 million terabytes in the first quarter of 2026, reflecting the country’s increasing reliance on digital platforms and online services.
According to him, the growth is being driven by wider adoption of 4G and 5G networks, increased smartphone penetration, the proliferation of smart devices and expanding use of social media platforms.
Participants at the event noted that as more Nigerians build businesses and careers around digital content, access to reliable and high-speed internet has become critical to sustaining the country’s digital economy and creator ecosystem.
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