Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has called upon MultiChoice Nigeria, the operator of DStv and GOtv, to justify its announced subscription price increase, scheduled to take effect on March 1, 2025.
Gatekeepers News reports that in an official statement released on Tuesday, Ondaje Ijagwu, the Director of Corporate Affairs at the FCCPC, noted that the regulator has mandated the appearance of MultiChoice’s Chief Executive Officer at its headquarters on February 27 for an investigative hearing.
This summons follows MultiChoice’s recent announcement of a 21 percent increase in the subscription fee for its DStv Compact package, which will see the price rise from N15,700 to N19,000, along with other pricing adjustments.
The announcement has been met with significant backlash from subscribers, many of whom expressed their dissatisfaction on social media regarding the frequent price hikes.
In its statement, the consumer protection agency raised concerns about the ongoing unilateral price increases, highlighting issues of fairness, potential market abuse, and anti-competitive practices.
“Exercising its mandate under Sections 32 and 33 of the FCCPA, the FCCPC directed the Chief Executive Officer of MultiChoice Nigeria to attend an investigative hearing at the commission’s headquarters on Thursday, February 27, 2025.
“This action follows MultiChoice’s formal notification of the price adjustment, which raises concerns about recurrent unilateral price hikes, potential market dominance abuse, and perceived anti-competitive practices in the pay-TV industry.
“The FCCPC is deeply concerned that Nigerian consumers continue to face frequent price increases, amid accusations that MultiChoice applies different pricing strategies in other markets, heightening questions about fairness and market abuse”, the statement partly read.
The regulator warned that failure to provide a satisfactory explanation or any violation of fair market principles could result in penalties, sanctions, or other corrective measures.
The FCCPC also confirmed that it is engaging the sector regulator and other relevant agencies to ensure fair competition and stronger consumer protection in Nigeria’s pay-TV industry.
