There is rising concern among Nigerian business owners as Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has threatened to leave the country over a fine dispute. Experts in the tech industry say this could badly affect over 56 per cent of Nigeria’s 39.6 million micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs). These businesses depend heavily on the social media platforms to reach customers, advertise their products, and grow their brands.
Meta is currently in a legal battle with three Nigerian regulatory bodies over fines totaling more than $290 million. Despite several court orders asking the company to pay by June 2025, Meta has refused to comply. The company went to court to appeal the fines but lost. In response, Meta has now threatened to shut down Facebook and Instagram operations in Nigeria if forced to pay.
The situation is worrying for many Nigerians, especially small business owners who use the platforms daily. According to the Global System for Mobile Communications Association, millions of MSMEs in Nigeria rely on Facebook and Instagram for sales, marketing, and customer engagement.
Olayinka Shobola, a digital marketing consultant at EssenceMediacom, explained that if Meta exits the Nigerian market, businesses that have built their brands online will suffer. “Most likely, they’ll turn to other platforms like X or TikTok. But to survive long-term, they’ll need to start their own websites or go back to physical stores. That takes time and money,” she said.
Meta’s platforms have helped boost Nigeria’s digital economy and have created thousands of jobs in areas like content creation, digital marketing, and tech support. Some workers are directly employed by Meta, while many others depend on the platform for their business. The departure of Facebook and Instagram could destroy these job opportunities overnight.
In Lagos, small business owners like Fatima Tunde are already afraid. Tunde, a baker, said Instagram is her main sales platform. “My shop practically lives on Instagram. If it goes, I’m out of business,” she told reporters.
Statista has predicted that Nigeria’s social media ad market will reach $148.2 million in 2025, and Facebook is expected to control about $120 million of that figure, thanks to its 38 million active users. If Meta exits, this large chunk of digital advertising money could disappear.
Meta has faced similar problems in other parts of the world. In the European Union, the company was fined €1.2 billion in 2023 for breaking data transfer rules. It also received a €200 million fine in 2025 under the Digital Markets Act. Despite these heavy penalties, Meta has not pulled out of Europe.
In the United States, Meta faced a $1.5 billion fine in Texas. Despite this, the company still operates in the U.S. That is why the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has accused Meta of using Nigeria as a pressure point. “They must comply,” said the commission, stressing that other countries have hit the company harder without such threats from Meta.
Abiola Jimoh, Co-founder and Co-CEO of XchangeBox, criticised Meta’s threat, saying, “Threatening to leave Nigeria sends a bad message. Fines should be taken as a chance to improve business practices, not a reason to walk away.”
Other voices in the tech and civil society space are also speaking out. Temitope Ogundipe, Executive Director of Techsocietal, said both Meta and the Nigerian government are at fault. “This dispute is putting millions of small business owners and vulnerable groups at risk,” she said.
Ogundipe explained that digital access is no longer a luxury but a right. Many entrepreneurs, community leaders, and even families rely on Facebook and Instagram for daily survival, communication, and business.
Foreign digital companies like Meta, Google, and Netflix paid a total of N3.85 trillion in tax to Nigeria’s federal government in the first nine months of 2024. Although Meta’s specific contribution was not disclosed, the company is believed to be among the top tax-compliant digital firms in Nigeria.
Nigeria currently has over 164 million internet users and a large youth population that spends a lot of time online. For many, this makes the country a valuable digital market. Jimoh questioned why Meta would threaten to leave such a promising market. “If they think Nigeria isn’t worth it, are they saying we’re not profitable?” he asked.
With time running out before the court’s deadline in June, many Nigerians are hoping for a resolution that will keep Facebook and Instagram running while ensuring Meta plays by the rules.
