Business

FCCPC files charges against MultiChoice over price hike

Published

1 year ago

March 5, 2025

606 Views

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission has filed charges against MultiChoice Nigeria Limited and its Chief Executive Officer, John Ugbe, for defying regulatory directives to suspend a subscription price hike.

FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday.

On February 27, the FCCPC directed MultiChoice to suspend its planned price increase for DStv and GOtv services pending the conclusion of an investigation into the hike.

However, the company went ahead with the price adjustments on March 1, disregarding the directive.

The regulator said the charges, filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos, were based on three counts: obstructing the Commission’s inquiry, failing to comply with directives, and attempting to mislead the regulatory body.

Part of the statement reads, “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 Commission 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.

In addition to the legal action, the FCCPC said it is considering further enforcement measures, including sanctions and regulatory interventions, to ensure compliance and accountability.

MultiChoice had earlier informed customers of the impending price review, set to take effect on March 1, 2025, attributing the adjustment to rising costs of delivering premium content.

According to the notice titled “Price Adjustments for DStv and GOtv Packages,” the company said, “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.

Related Topics:FCCPC Featured Files Charges Multichoice

Up Next

Quality Products Would Reduce Nigeria’s Exports Reject – SGF Akume

Don't Miss

“I’m resting … ” Dangote replies Otedola’s Invitation to Invest in Eko Atlantic City”

Click to comment

Business

Meta set to charge WhatsApp Business messages from October 1

For example, a Nigerian fintech company sending 500,000 chargeable utility messages could incur about $5,050 in fees from Meta alone, excluding charges that may come from third-party providers or software platforms used to manage the messaging service.

Published

11 hours ago

August 28, 2026

OCHEFA

19 Views

Businesses using Meta’s WhatsApp Business Platform will begin paying for certain messages sent to customers from October 1, 2026, under a new pricing structure announced by the company.

The change applies to organisations that use the WhatsApp Business Platform, formerly known as the WhatsApp Business API, to manage customer communication on a large scale.

Regular WhatsApp users and small businesses using the standard WhatsApp Business app are not the main targets of the new charges.

Under the revised system, the amount businesses pay will depend on the type of message being sent.

Utility messages, including payment alerts, order confirmations and other service-related updates, will cost about $0.0101 per message, while marketing messages will attract a higher fee of approximately $0.062 each.

Although the individual charges appear relatively small, companies that send large volumes of messages could see their communication expenses rise significantly.

Business

Dangote Refinery Suspends Petrol Sales To Lagos Depots

Dangote Refinery is prioritising markets where imported products are either unavailable or less dominant, rather than adding more supply to Lagos, which receives substantial volumes of imported petrol.

Published

18 hours ago

August 28, 2026

OCHEFA

17 Views

Dangote Petroleum Refinery has suspended coastal sales of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to depot owners and importers in Lagos.

People familiar with the refinery’s operations said that the move is deliberate, aimed at redirecting locally refined petrol to areas where imported supply is scarce.

The suspension is ongoing. A source said: “The suspension of coastal sales to Lagos is still ongoing. It is aimed at redirecting products to locations where imported products are unavailable. Lagos has quite some imported petrol.”

The strategy is intended to ensure locally refined petrol reaches areas where it is most needed.

The decision comes amid concerns at the refinery over the volume of imported petrol entering Nigeria.

According to data available to the refinery, imported PMS accounted for about 43 per cent of total petrol supplied into Nigeria in July

Business

Naira Exchange Rates Friday, August 28

Today, the Naira Black Market exchange rate for 1 Great British Pound (GBP) is 1900 Naira. This means that you can get 1900 Naira for every 1 Pound that you exchange.

How much is 100 pounds in naira today?
At the current black market rate of 1900 per pound, 100 British Pounds = 190,000 Naira.