Facebook and Instagram may pull out of Nigeria over ¥14 billion fine

Meta in Nigeria

By Emmanuel Akyereko

(Managing Editor)

Facebook parents company Meta has threatened to cut off its services in Nigeria over huge fines imposed by authorities in the country.

People in Nigeria may lose their Facebook and Instagram accounts after the parent company Meta said it faced large fines and “unrealistic” regulatory demands from the Nigerian authorities.

In 2024, three Nigerian oversight bodies imposed heavy fines on the United States-based social media conglomerate totally ¥41 billion.

Meta changed the decision in a Federal High Court in Abuja however was unsuccessful with the attempt and had until June 2025 to honour the payment or face further sanctions in Nigeria.

“The applicant (Meta) may be forced to effectively shut down the Facebook and Instagram services in Nigeria in order to mitigate the risk of enforcement measures,” the company said in the court papers.

Meta, who also own WhatsApp, did not mention in the court proceedings whether their messaging services has been affected by the sanctions.

Facebook is by far the most dominant social media platform in Nigeria and most West African countries and is used by tens of millions in the country for daily communication and sharing news. It is also a vital tool for many of Nigeria’s small online businesses.