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The Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO) has issued a blistering warning to the Presidency and the National Assembly, declaring that Nigeria is on the brink of losing control of its information ecosystem to unregulated global digital platforms, with grave consequences for national security, democracy and social cohesion.

In a hard-hitting position paper, the umbrella body of Nigeria’s media industry accused powerful foreign tech companies of acting as unelected, transnational gatekeepers over public discourse, extracting enormous value from Nigerian news content while starving local journalism of the revenue needed to survive.

The NPO, comprising the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) and the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ)—warned that what is unfolding is no ordinary market disruption but a structural assault on Nigeria’s democratic foundations.

According to the organisation, global platforms now dominate digital advertising, dictate what Nigerians see through opaque algorithms designed outside the country, monetise Nigerian journalism at scale, and export revenue offshore, leaving local newsrooms weakened, understaffed and increasingly vulnerable.

“This is the quiet outsourcing of Nigeria’s democratic conversation to commercial algorithms beyond national control,” the NPO warned.

The media body said the collapse of professional journalism would have consequences far beyond newsrooms, stressing that in a multi-ethnic and multi-religious federation like Nigeria, credible journalism is a pillar of social stability. Once trusted media institutions weaken, misinformation, disinformation and digitally engineered narratives fill the vacuum, fueling polarisation, grievance mobilisation and insecurity.

“No counterterrorism, policing or intelligence framework can fully compensate for a collapsed information order,” the statement cautioned.

The NPO also raised alarm over electoral integrity, warning that when journalism is displaced by algorithm-driven virality, elections and public accountability become easy targets for manipulation, foreign interference and coordinated falsehoods.

It further argued that press freedom cannot exist without economic viability, noting that news organisations struggling to pay salaries, fund investigations and retain skilled professionals are effectively unfree, regardless of constitutional guarantees.

Describing journalism as “strategic national infrastructure,” the organisation said verified information, investigative reporting and balanced coverage are public goods—yet the current digital market allows foreign platforms to reap disproportionate rewards while weakening the institutions that produce them.

The NPO pointed to global precedents, noting that leading democracies have already moved decisively to rein in digital gatekeepers. The European Union, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and South Africa, it said, have all adopted legal and regulatory frameworks to restore balance between global platforms and local media.

“Nigeria would not be acting in isolation,” the organisation stressed. “The global consensus is clear: non-intervention is no longer a neutral option.”

The media body urged the Federal Government and the National Assembly to urgently adopt a Nigerian-designed legal framework—through new legislation or amendments to existing digital laws—that recognises journalism as a public-interest activity, corrects extreme bargaining power imbalances and guarantees fair remuneration for Nigerian news content without stifling innovation.

It noted that existing institutions such as the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) and the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC) already have the powers to act against abuse of dominance and refusal to negotiate in good faith.

Rejecting any suggestion of protectionism, the NPO described its intervention as a call for strategic leadership, warning that the cost of inaction would be paid not just by journalists and publishers, but by the nation itself—through weakened institutions, eroded public trust, rampant misinformation and fragile national cohesion.

“History will judge this generation of leaders by whether it recognised the importance of information sovereignty early enough to act,” the statement said.

The NPO declared its readiness to work with government, lawmakers, regulators, civil society and technology companies to design what it called a fair, forward-looking and distinctly Nigerian solution.

“The moment to act is now,” the organisation warned, insisting that protecting the Nigerian press is not an industry bailout, but an investment in national stability, democratic durability and Nigeria’s credibility as a constitutional democracy.