Telecom
FG, Meta to Settle Alleged $32.8m Privacy Breach Fine Out of Court
Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) and Meta Platforms Inc. have moved to settle their dispute over the regulator’s $32.8 million fine and a slate of compliance directives issued against the company for alleged violations affecting Nigerian users’ data.
Lawyers for both sides informed Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday that talks were well advanced. The judge had been set to rule on the NDPC’s preliminary objection to Meta’s suit, as well as Meta’s request to amend its court filings. Instead, at the parties’ request, he put the ruling on hold to allow negotiations to continue.
Meta’s counsel, Fred Onwuobia, SAN, told the court the parties had “reached an advanced stage of settlement” and warned a ruling could derail those efforts. “The draft terms of settlement have been exchanged,” he said while asking for an adjournment to report back on the outcome.
NDPC counsel Adeola Adedipe, SAN, confirmed that “settlement discussions have advanced appreciably” and urged the court to allow time so the terms could be returned for adoption as a consent judgment.
Justice Omotosho said the court encourages amicable resolution and indicated he would withhold his ruling for now. The matter was adjourned to October 31, 2025, for either a ruling or adoption of any agreed terms.
The regulator’s push began in February, when the NDPC levied a $32.8 million penalty and issued eight corrective orders after receiving a petition from the Personal Data Protection Awareness Initiative alleging Meta conducted behavioral advertising on Facebook and Instagram without users’ explicit consent.
The Commission also cited a failure to file a 2022 compliance audit, breaches of cross-border data transfer requirements, and processing of data belonging to non-users, among other alleged contraventions.
Meta challenged both the findings and the procedures that led to the Final Orders. In a motion filed March 19, the company argued it was denied due process and a fair hearing, saying the Commission did not give adequate notice or an opportunity to respond before issuing the directives.
Meta’s lead counsel, Prof. Gbolahan Elias, SAN, asked the court to quash the enforcement orders, arguing they offend Section 36 of the Constitution.
The NDPC countered with a preliminary objection, insisting Meta’s suit was incompetent and that the court lacked jurisdiction because, in the Commission’s view, Meta did not comply with Order 34 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules on judicial review.
Adedipe also argued Meta’s originating summons and supporting statements were misaligned, rendering the case defective, and accused the company of trying to replace reliefs already obtained ex parte with new ones “under the guise of an amendment,” contrary to the rules. He urged the court to dismiss the application outright.
Meta followed with an April 23 motion seeking leave to amend its initial statement so it would mirror the reliefs in the originating summons, saying the goal was to harmonize the documents.
Justice Omotosho had earlier granted leave to commence judicial review but refused to stay the NDPC’s orders pending determination of the suit. After hearing arguments, he fixed October 3, 2025, for a consolidated ruling on the NDPC objection and Meta’s amendment motion—an outcome now deferred while the parties pursue settlement.
MTN Nigeria is accelerating investments in network expansion and modernization to address rising demand for mobile and data services across the country.
The operator is deploying additional base stations, upgrading existing infrastructure, and expanding fiber connectivity to improve network capacity, coverage, and service quality.
The investments are designed to support increasing smartphone adoption, higher data consumption, and the growing use of digital services by consumers and businesses.
MTN said the expansion aligns with its long-term strategy to enhance customer experience while strengthening Nigeria’s digital infrastructure.
The company expects the ongoing upgrades to improve connectivity, support economic growth, and enable broader access to reliable telecommunications services as demand for high-speed broadband continues to increase.
Airtel Africa’s CEO, Sunil Taldar, has announced the telco’s commitment to connecting 5,000 schools across its operating countries in Africa to the internet by 2027 through its philanthropic arm, Airtel Africa Foundation, in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF).
So far, the $57m partnership, which was launched in 2021, has cumulatively connected 3,296 schools and provided access to over 2 million learners and about 40,000 teachers. 64 digital learning platforms have been zero-rated thereby enabling more than 11m users to access educational content at no cost.
Speaking during a visit to St. Monica’s Girls School in Lusaka, which is one of the 300 schools already connected to the internet in Zambia, the Airtel Africa CEO stated that the initiative is having a profound impact on the quality of education by expanding access to digital learning resources for African children, in collaboration with governments.
Mr Taldar added: “Students are accessing best-in-class education from the curriculum developed by UNICEF in partnership with various Ministries of Education and provided through Airtel’s connectivity.
“We are also training teachers, so that they deliver digital education effectively. We aim to continue deepening meaningful connectivity in schools by providing free internet access, zero‑rated platforms and training teachers across the continent”.
Expressing her appreciation, the Headmistress of St. Monica’s Girls’ School, Sr Matilda Soloko said: “Being among the first schools connected in the initial stage, our learners have been able to study using the learning portal and their studies have been intensified. We remain grateful to Airtel and UNICEF.”
UNICEF’s Country Representative for Zambia, Dr Saja Farooq Abdullah said: “What this partnership has brought is really bridging the equality gap and the digital divide. It is making sure that every child learns wherever they are. It was exciting and interesting to see and hear from the girls how they can learn at their own pace, how they can review the materials, and how they do their homework with comfort.
The Director of Secondary Education in Zambia’s Ministry of Education, Yvonne Mwemba Chuulu lauded UNICEF and Airtel for the partnership saying: “At the Ministry of Education, we cannot do it alone, and we are grateful for the partnership that we have today.
“Our children are able to learn in a blended fashion, where we have a teacher who is also employing digital devices. We have also heard from the learners that they are able to access the portal when they are at home, which is a good thing because our learners continue to learn in the comfort of their homes”.
The School Connection programme is expanding digital learning to learners in 13 countries: Chad, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Madagascar, Malawi, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Zambia. By equipping these schools with internet connectivity and training teachers on using the digital tools, it is providing children, particularly in underserved and remote regions, with the digital tools and skills they need to thrive.
Airtel Africa Foundation is advancing inclusive development across four strategic pillars, Financial Inclusion, Education, Environmental Sustainability and Digital Inclusion.
MultiChoice has officially become a wholly owned subsidiary of French media company Canal+, marking the completion of one of the largest acquisitions in Africa’s media and entertainment industry.
The integration brings the South Africa-based pay television operator under the full ownership of Canal+, a global media group with operations in 70 countries.
Announcing the completion of the transaction on Thursday, Chief Executive Officer of Canal+ Africa and MultiChoice, David Mignot, described the development as the beginning of a new phase of growth for the broadcaster.
“MultiChoice is now a full subsidiary of a truly international media group operating in 70 countries.
“The group was founded in France, is listed in London and Johannesburg, and has a strong African presence with operations in more than 45 countries,” Mignot said.
The acquisition combines Canal+’s international operations with MultiChoice’s extensive footprint across sub-Saharan Africa, where it serves millions of households through its DStv and GOtv platforms, as well as the Showmax streaming service.
According to Canal+, the integration will strengthen MultiChoice’s competitive position by giving it access to broader financial resources, technology, content partnerships and operational expertise.
The company said the combined business would increase investment in local content production, sports broadcasting and streaming services as competition intensifies from global platforms such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+.
The transaction is also expected to provide MultiChoice with greater access to international markets at a time when traditional pay television operators are adapting to changing consumer viewing habits and the rapid growth of digital streaming platforms.
Canal+ has expanded steadily across Africa over the past decade and now assumes full control of a business operating in more than 45 African countries, further strengthening its position in the continent’s media and entertainment sector.
The acquisition followed Canal+’s gradual increase in its shareholding in MultiChoice, which began in 2024.
After exceeding the regulatory threshold, the company launched a mandatory offer in April 2024 to acquire the remaining shares of the Johannesburg-listed broadcaster.
Following regulatory approvals and shareholder acceptance, Canal+ secured control of MultiChoice in 2025 before completing the process that has now made the company a wholly owned subsidiary.
Industry observers describe the acquisition as one of the most significant media transactions involving an African company, reflecting a broader trend of consolidation as global entertainment firms seek greater scale to compete in the streaming era.
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