The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has mandated MultiChoice Nigeria, the operator of DStv and GOtv, to maintain its current subscription prices.
This directive is in place while the FCCPC conducts an investigation into the company’s planned tariff adjustments. The commission’s decision to freeze prices is primarily to prevent potential consumer exploitation during the investigative period.
This directive was communicated through a statement issued by Ondaje Ijagwu, Director of Corporate Affairs for the FCCPC, on Thursday. Although the FCCPC granted MultiChoice’s request for a postponement of a prior session, a new hearing has been scheduled for March 6, 2025.
This hearing will require the attendance of MultiChoice’s CEO and other relevant officers, who must provide a comprehensive response to the commission’s inquiries. The official statement emphasized that, “As part of this directive, MultiChoice is expressly instructed to maintain the existing price structure as of February 27, 2025, pending the commission’s review and final determination on the matter.”
MultiChoice had previously notified its customers on Monday about an upcoming price adjustment, citing a review of its pricing structure. The company justified the changes as necessary to continue providing world-class content. However, this announcement triggered significant concerns among subscribers.
The proposed changes included an increase to the DStv Compact package, while the Compact Plus and Premium bouquets were to remain at N30,000 and N44,500, respectively. MultiChoice, in a notice titled “Price Adjustments for DStv and GOtv Packages,” 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.”
The current directive from the FCCPC follows MultiChoice’s request for an extension concerning its scheduled appearance before the commission, which was prompted by concerns regarding the company’s recurring price increases.
The regulator had initially summoned MultiChoice’s Chief Executive Officer to appear for an investigative hearing on February 27. The FCCPC has stated that it will provide further updates as the investigation progresses
