Meta's potential exit from Nigeria could devastate 56% of the nation's 39.6 million micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs), which heavily rely on Facebook and Instagram for sales, customer engagement, and brand visibility. The company's threat to halt operations in Nigeria stems from a $290 million fine dispute with regulators, which Meta has yet to pay despite Nigerian courts ordering settlement by June 2025.

*Impact on Nigerian Businesses:*

- *Loss of Revenue*: A shutdown would deal a serious blow to Nigeria's digital economy, with Statista forecasting a $148.2 million social media ad market in 2025, largely driven by Facebook.

- *Job Losses*: Thousands of jobs across digital marketing, creative industries, and tech support services would be affected, with marketers, influencers, and agencies losing contracts overnight.

- *Costly Alternatives*: Businesses would need to invest in standalone e-commerce or offline channels, or pivot to platforms like X or TikTok for short-term survival ¹.

*Reactions from Industry Players:*

- *Digital Marketing Consultant Olayinka Shobola*: "Businesses that built their brands on Meta's platforms would face immediate challenges."

- *Co-founder and Co-CEO of XchangeBox, Abiola Jimoh*: "Threatening to exit sends the wrong signal. Fines should be a chance to improve, not a reason to abandon a market."

- *Executive Director of Techsocietal, Temitope Ogundipe*: "Digital access is not a luxury but a right tied to livelihoods and voice."

*Government Response:*

- The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has branded Meta's threat a "pressure tactic," noting the company faced heftier fines elsewhere without exiting ¹.