The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) and Meta Platforms Inc. have entered advanced negotiations to resolve their legal dispute over a $32.8 million fine and several compliance directives issued against the tech company for alleged violations involving Nigerian users’ data.
At a Federal High Court hearing in Abuja on Friday, lawyers for both parties informed Justice James Omotosho that settlement talks were progressing and requested a pause in legal proceedings. The judge had been scheduled to rule on two pending motions: the NDPC’s preliminary objection to Meta’s suit and Meta’s request to amend its filings. However, both sides asked the court to delay the ruling to allow negotiations to continue.
Meta’s counsel, Fred Onwuobia, SAN, told the court that “draft terms of settlement have been exchanged,” and warned that proceeding with a ruling could undermine the resolution efforts. NDPC counsel, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, confirmed the discussions had “advanced appreciably” and requested time for the settlement terms to potentially be adopted as a consent judgment.
Justice Omotosho welcomed the move toward an amicable resolution and adjourned the matter to October 31, 2025, for either the adoption of agreed terms or delivery of his ruling.
The dispute began in February, when the NDPC imposed a $32.8 million penalty on Meta and issued eight corrective directives. The action followed a petition by the Personal Data Protection Awareness Initiative, alleging that Meta conducted behavioral advertising on Facebook and Instagram without users’ explicit consent. Additional accusations included failure to submit a 2022 compliance audit, improper cross-border data transfers, and unauthorized processing of non-user data.
In response, Meta filed suit on March 19, challenging the NDPC’s findings and procedures. The company claimed it was denied due process and a fair hearing, arguing that the Commission issued enforcement orders without adequate notice or an opportunity to respond—allegedly breaching Section 36 of the Constitution. Meta’s lead counsel, Prof. Gbolahan Elias, SAN, asked the court to quash the NDPC’s Final Orders.
The NDPC filed a preliminary objection, arguing that Meta’s suit was procedurally flawed and the court lacked jurisdiction. Adedipe contended that Meta failed to comply with Order 34 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules and accused the company of improperly attempting to amend its reliefs. He urged the court to dismiss the application in its entirety.
Meta followed up with a motion on April 23 seeking leave to amend its filings to align the reliefs with its originating summons. Justice Omotosho had previously granted permission for judicial review but declined to stay the NDPC’s directives while the case proceeded. A ruling on the preliminary and amendment motions was originally set for October 3 but has now been deferred due to the ongoing settlement talks.
