Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has reached an out-of-court settlement with the Nigerian government over a $32.8 million fine for alleged data violations.
The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) had imposed the fine on 18 February, citing unauthorized data transfers, unsolicited advertisements, and failure to submit mandatory audit reports. The dispute triggered a legal standoff, during which Meta at one point threatened to suspend its operations in Nigeria.
On Monday, both parties informed the Federal High Court in Abuja that they had agreed to a resolution. Meta’s lawyer, Fred Onuofia, SAN, requested that the settlement terms be adopted as the court’s judgment, a request supported by the government’s counsel, Adeola Adedipe, SAN.
Justice James Omotosho commended both sides for embracing alternative dispute resolution and formally entered the settlement, filed on 31 October 2025, as the judgment of the court. The specific terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
The dispute originated when the NDPC issued its Final Orders in February, imposing the $32.8 million enforcement fee and eight corrective directives under the Nigeria Data Protection Act, which was signed into law by President Bola Tinubu in June 2023.
The NDPC’s action followed a petition by the Personal Data Protection Awareness Initiative, which accused Meta of using behavioural advertising without users’ explicit consent. The commission also alleged that Meta processed data of non-users, failed to file its 2022 compliance audit, transferred Nigerians’ data abroad without authorization, and targeted minors with advertisements.
The NDPC had ordered Meta to conduct a localised data protection impact assessment, update its privacy policies, obtain express consent for behavioural advertising, and halt cross-border data transfers without approval. Meta denied all allegations and filed a motion on 26 February seeking to quash the NDPC’s enforcement orders.
On 4 March, Justice Omotosho allowed Meta to commence judicial review proceedings but declined to stay the commission’s enforcement pending the hearing of the substantive suit. The legal battle involved disputes over procedural compliance and constitutional rights, with both sides citing Sections 36 and other provisions.
After several adjournments, the parties opted for an out-of-court settlement, formally agreeing to reconcile in early October. The resolution allows Meta to avoid further sanctions under Nigerian data protection law and opens the path for renewed cooperation with regulators.
