FG drags MultiChoice to court over subscription price hike
The federal government through the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has filed charges against MultiChoice Nigeria Limited and its Chief Executive Officer, John Ugbe, for defying regulatory directives to suspend a planned subscription price hike.
Ondaje Ijagwu, FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, made this known in a statement on Wednesday.
On February 27, the FCCPC ordered MultiChoice to suspend its proposed price increase for DStv and GOtv services pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation. However, the company proceeded with the price adjustments on March 1, disregarding the directive.
The regulator stated that the charges, filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos, are based on three counts: obstructing the Commission’s inquiry, failing to comply with regulatory directives, and attempting to mislead the regulatory body
The statement read in part: “Following the blatant disregard for regulatory oversight, the FCCPC has filed charges against MultiChoice Nigeria and John Ugbe at the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division, on three counts of offences under the FCCPA 2018.
“Specifically for willfully obstructing the Commission’s inquiry by implementing a price hike contrary to directives (Section 33(4)), impeding the ongoing investigation by ignoring instructions to suspend the hike (Section 110), and attempting to mislead the Commission by proceeding with the increase without objection (Section 159(2), punishable under Section 159(4)(a) and (b)).”
The FCCPC described MultiChoice’s actions as a deliberate attempt to undermine regulatory authority, disrupt market fairness, and deny Nigerian consumers the protection guaranteed under the law.
“By disregarding the FCCPC’s directive and implementing the price hike before appearing before the Commission’s investigative hearing on March 6, 2025, MultiChoice has not only flouted regulatory processes but also demonstrated a pattern of conduct that undermines consumer rights and fair competition,” the statement added.
Beyond legal action, the FCCPC is also considering additional enforcement measures, including sanctions and regulatory interventions, to ensure compliance and accountability.
Earlier, MultiChoice had informed customers of the impending price review, effective March 1, 2025, citing rising costs of delivering premium content.
In a notice titled “Price Adjustments for DStv and GOtv Packages,” the company stated:
“Dear Customer, please note that effective March 1, 2025, there will be a price adjustment on all DStv packages. This is to enable us to continue offering our customers world-class homegrown and international content, delivered through the best technology.”
While the Compact Plus and Premium packages will remain at N30,000 and N44,500, respectively, the DStv Compact package is among the subscriptions affected by the price increase.
