President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has promised to stop global tech giants from “cannibalizing” the Nigerian media, pledging to help local news outlets get their fair share of digital revenue. During a meeting with media owners in Abuja, the President admitted that the industry is under serious pressure and promised that the government would no longer watch while big tech firms profit from local content for free. Media leaders, led by Frank Aigbogun of BusinessDay, raised an alarm that global platforms are “scraping” news stories and breaking through paywalls to train Artificial Intelligence (AI). They revealed that this “digital theft” is costing Nigerian media houses up to 70% of their revenue, leading to massive job losses. Tinubu has now directed the government to investigate these “anti-competitive” practices to ensure Google, Meta, and others pay what they owe. If passed, these items will be treated as “educational materials,” making it much cheaper for newspapers and stations to operate. The Minister of Information, Mohammed Idris, was blunt about the new direction, stating that the government will ensure anyone making money from the Nigerian economy gives back to the local creators. The meeting was a “who’s who” of the media world, with heads of Channels TV, ARISE News, The Guardian, and Vanguard all in attendance to push for the survival of the industry. Post navigation Ibadan Agog as Female Titans Converge for Dominion Broadcast Group’s Mega Women’s Conference NLC Tasks Federal Government Over Skyrocketing Fuel Prices
