The Data Privacy Lawyers Association of Nigeria (DPLAN) has filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja against Meta Platforms Inc. and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), challenging a consent judgment that set aside a 32.8 million dollar remedial fine imposed on the technology company.
The suit, filed on December 16, 2025, seeks to overturn a consent judgment delivered on November 3, 2025, by Justice J.K. Omotosho, which approved an out of court settlement between Meta and the NDPC. Under the agreement, the NDPC agreed to extinguish the 32.8 million dollar fine earlier imposed on Meta in February 2025 over alleged data privacy violations affecting Nigerian users.
DPLAN argues that the settlement was reached without the knowledge or involvement of the affected data subjects, estimated at over 60 million Nigerians. The association alleges that the agreement was the result of fraudulent concealment and collusion.
In court documents filed by its lead counsel, Olumide Babalola, DPLAN contends that the NDPC acted beyond its legal powers by compromising a statutory fine which it says constitutes public revenue belonging to the Federal Government. The group further claims that the settlement effectively wiped away eight corrective orders previously issued against Meta, including findings on unauthorised behavioural advertising and unlawful cross border data transfers.
DPLAN is also asking the court to stay the execution of the consent judgment pending the hearing and determination of a substantive suit seeking to set it aside. According to the association, allowing the settlement to stand would cause irreparable damage to Nigeria’s data protection framework and weaken regulatory accountability.
The association further alleges that the consent judgment was reached privately in a bid to avoid a pending court decision that may have upheld the sanctions imposed on Meta.
The suit comes against the backdrop of increased regulatory scrutiny of Meta’s operations in Nigeria. Earlier in 2025, a tribunal upheld a 220 million dollar fine imposed on Meta by the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission over alleged exploitative data practices. Meta has indicated its intention to appeal that decision.
Legal analysts say the outcome of the case could have significant implications for data protection enforcement in Nigeria, particularly on the extent to which regulators can negotiate or waive penalties imposed on multinational technology companies.
The Federal High Court is expected to fix a hearing date in the coming weeks.