The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has directed MultiChoice Nigeria, the operator of DStv and GOtv, to suspend its planned subscription price hike pending the outcome of an ongoing investigation into the company’s proposed tariff adjustment.
The consumer watchdog disclosed the directive in a statement signed by its Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, on Thursday, citing the need to protect consumers from potential exploitation during the review process.
The commission’s order follows MultiChoice’s request for an extension regarding its scheduled appearance before the regulator over mounting concerns about the company’s recurrent price increases.
Earlier, the FCCPC had summoned MultiChoice’s Chief Executive Officer to appear before it on February 27 for an investigative hearing.
However, following the company’s request, the commission rescheduled the hearing to March 6, 2025, mandating the attendance of the CEO and relevant officers and the submission of a comprehensive response.
“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,” the statement read.
The FCCPC underscored that the price freeze is a precautionary measure to safeguard consumers against arbitrary pricing adjustments while the inquiry is ongoing.
MultiChoice had earlier informed customers of the impending price review, set to take effect on March 1, 2025, attributing the adjustment to the rising costs of delivering premium content.
According to the 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 bouquets will remain at N30,000 and N44,500, respectively, the DStv Compact package is among the subscriptions expected to be affected by the price increase.
The FCCPC said further updates would be provided as the investigation progresses.
Justice has over three years experience spanning digital and print media. At The PUNCH, he currently covers the automobile sector with special interest in features and industry analysis.
