$32.8 Million Fine Dispute: Meta Settles With Nigerian Government Out Of Court

Tech giant Meta Platforms, parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has settled its $32.8 million data violation dispute with the Nigerian government out of court, ending a legal battle that has lingered since February 2025.

The Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) had fined Meta on February 18 for alleged breaches, including unauthorized data transfers, behavioural advertising without user consent, and failure to submit audit reports.

The case took a new turn on Monday when both parties informed the Federal High Court in Abuja that they had reached an amicable settlement.

Meta’s counsel, Fred Onuofia (SAN), urged the court to adopt the terms of settlement as judgment, while the government’s lawyer, Adeola Adedipe (SAN), supported the motion.

Justice James Omotosho commended both parties for embracing alternative dispute resolution and subsequently adopted the settlement filed on October 31, 2025, as the court’s judgment in suit number FHC/ABJ/CS/355/2025.

“Having been agreed by all parties, the terms of settlement are hereby entered as judgment in this suit,” the judge ruled.

The details of the settlement were, however, not made public.

Background

The dispute began when the NDPC accused Meta of violating provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Act (2023) by processing Nigerians’ data without consent, targeting minors, and transferring personal data abroad without authorisation.

The commission ordered Meta to conduct a data protection impact assessment, update its privacy policies, and seek explicit consent for behavioural advertising.

Meta denied the allegations, describing the process as flawed and filed a motion seeking to quash NDPC’s enforcement orders. After several hearings and adjournments, the company and the government opted for an out-of-court resolution in October 2025.

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