By Pascal Ibe

The battle between the Nigerian government agency, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission( FCCPC) and Meta, the parents company of WhatsApp, had been going on for weeks.

But Nigerians became more interested in this matter, the moment when story of WhatsApp leaving Nigeria came up few days ago.

But, Is This True WhatsApp Could Leave Nigeria As Reported?

Yes , it’s true.

Why?

According to TechCabal, one week after Nigeria’s Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) fined WhatsApp $220 million for a data privacy violation, the commission’s additional demands could lead to WhatsApp suspending operations in the country. At least four people familiar with the conversation said Meta was considering “withdrawing certain services” in Nigeria.

“We want to be really clear that technically, based on the order, it would be impossible to provide WhatsApp in Nigeria or globally,” a spokesperson for WhatsApp told TechCabal via email.

“This order contains multiple inaccuracies and misrepresents how WhatsApp works. WhatsApp relies on limited data to run our service and keep users safe, and it would be impossible to provide WhatsApp in Nigeria or globally without Meta’s infrastructure. We are urgently appealing the order to avoid any impact on users,” the statement added.

Breaching Data Privacy Laws And $220 Million Fine

The FCCPC, an agency under the Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment (FMITI), had imposed a $220 million penalty on Meta Platforms Incorporated over alleged discriminatory practices against Nigerian data and consumers.

The Commission disclosed that the investigation concluded that Meta Platforms had engaged in conduct constituting ongoing infringements of Nigeria’s consumer protection and data laws over an extended period.

Appealing the fine, Meta argued that the FCCPC denied them a fair hearing by imposing a hefty penalty without giving them an opportunity to understand the basis for the penalty calculation and to respond to it.

The appellants further argued that, contrary to the FCCPC’s order on compliance, it would be impossible to identify and build a consent mechanism for each data point processed by Nigerian consumers.

They added that doing so would be “extremely expensive.”

Pressures To Stand Down On Our Final Order

On its X page, the FCCPC maintained that it investigated Meta Platforms and WhatsApp (jointly referred to as “Meta Parties”) for allegedly violating the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) and the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR).

The Commission found that the Meta Parties engaged in multiple and repeated infringements of the FCCPA and the NDPR.

It stressed that to deter future violations and ensure accountability for the alleged infringements, the FCCPC also imposed a monetary penalty of $220 million.

The Commission emphasized that its orders are legitimate and have also been applied by other countries where WhatsApp and Meta operate.

FCCPC added:
“The FCCPC’s actions are based on legitimate concerns about consumer protection and data privacy, and the order is a positive step toward a fairer digital market in Nigeria. Similar measures are taken in other jurisdictions without forcing companies to leave the market. The case of Nigeria will not be different.”

What Happens Next?

As a legal matter, it is for for the courts to determine whether the fine against WhatsApp by the Nigerian government ( Meta) is valid.