The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has directed MultiChoice Nigeria, the operator of DStv and GOtv, to maintain its current subscription prices while an investigation into the company’s proposed tariff adjustment is ongoing.
The consumer watchdog issued the directive in a statement signed by its Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, on Thursday. The move follows MultiChoice’s request for an extension regarding its scheduled appearance before the FCCPC, due to concerns over its frequent price hikes.
Earlier, the FCCPC had summoned MultiChoice’s Chief Executive Officer to appear before the commission on February 27 for an investigative hearing. While the regulator granted the company’s request to reschedule, the hearing has now been set for March 6, 2025. The commission has instructed the CEO and other relevant officers to provide a comprehensive response to the inquiry.
“As part of this directive, MultiChoice is explicitly 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 emphasized that this decision to freeze prices is intended to protect consumers from potential exploitation during the investigation.
MultiChoice had informed its customers on Monday about the impending price increase, citing a review of its pricing structure. While the company stated that the adjustment was necessary to continue delivering world-class content, it sparked concerns among subscribers.
Under the proposed changes, the DStv Compact package would see an increase, while the Compact Plus and Premium bouquets would remain at N30,000 and N44,500, respectively. The company’s notice titled “Price Adjustments for DStv and GOtv Packages” read, “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 FCCPC stated that it will provide further updates as the investigation progresses.
