By Abiodun Abdullai
The Federal Government and Meta Platforms Inc., parent company of Facebook and Instagram, have agreed to resolve the $32.8 million privacy sanction imposed by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) through an out-of-court settlement.
At the Federal High Court in Abuja, counsels for both parties informed Justice James Omotosho that discussions had reached an advanced stage, prompting the court to defer its ruling on pending motions.
Meta's lead counsel, Fred Onwuobia (SAN), told the court that both sides had exchanged draft settlement terms and were seeking time to finalise an agreement. NDPC's lawyer, Adeola Adedipe (SAN), confirmed that the parties had made "appreciable progress" toward resolving the dispute.
Justice Omotosho, in response, adjourned the matter until October 31, 2025, for either the adoption of settlement terms or delivery of ruling, noting that the court encourages amicable resolution.
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The dispute arose after the NDPC fined Meta $32.8 million in February 2025 and issued eight corrective orders over alleged violations of the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA). The Commission accused Meta of behavioural advertising without user consent, non-compliance with cross-border data rules, and failure to file a 2022 compliance audit.
Meta, however, challenged the fine in court, alleging it was denied fair hearing and due process. Its counsel, Prof. Gbolahan Elias (SAN), asked the court to quash the NDPC's orders, arguing they breached Section 36 of the Constitution.
The NDPC maintained that Meta's suit was defective and urged the court to dismiss it, but with both sides opting for dialogue, the case may now end in a consent judgment.
If successful, the settlement would mark the first major resolution under Nigeria's new data protection regime — a critical test of enforcement and corporate accountability in the country's growing digital economy.
