The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) and Meta Platforms Inc. are in advanced talks to resolve their dispute over a $32.8 million fine and several compliance directives issued against the tech giant for alleged violations involving Nigerian users’ data.
At Friday’s hearing before Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court, Abuja, lawyers representing both parties confirmed that settlement discussions had progressed significantly. The court was originally set to deliver rulings on the NDPC’s preliminary objection to Meta’s suit and Meta’s request to amend its filings. However, both sides jointly requested an adjournment to allow negotiations to continue.
Meta’s counsel, Fred Onwuobia, SAN, told the court that the parties had “reached an advanced stage of settlement,” noting that “draft terms of settlement have been exchanged.” NDPC’s counsel, Adeola Adedipe, SAN, also confirmed the progress and asked the court to grant time for both sides to finalize terms that could later 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 a ruling or formal adoption of the agreed settlement terms.
The dispute traces back to February 2025, when the NDPC fined Meta $32.8 million and issued eight corrective directives after receiving a petition from the Personal Data Protection Awareness Initiative. The Commission alleged that Meta engaged in behavioral advertising on Facebook and Instagram without obtaining users’ explicit consent, failed to file its 2022 compliance audit, breached cross-border data transfer rules, and processed data belonging to non-users.
Meta denied the allegations, filing a motion on March 19, 2025, claiming that it was denied due process and fair hearing before the NDPC’s final orders were issued. The company’s lead counsel, Prof. Gbolahan Elias, SAN, urged the court to quash the orders for violating Section 36 of the Nigerian Constitution.
The NDPC, in turn, filed a preliminary objection arguing that Meta’s case was procedurally defective and that the court lacked jurisdiction, insisting the tech company failed to comply with judicial review rules under Order 34 of the Federal High Court (Civil Procedure) Rules.
The matter had been set for a consolidated ruling on October 3, 2025, but that decision is now on hold as both parties work toward a possible out-of-court settlement.
