The House of Representatives has directed Multichoice, the owner of DStv and GOtv, to suspend its planned subscription price increase, citing the current economic challenges facing Nigerians.
This decision came after a motion was moved by Esosa Iyawe, a lawmaker from Edo State, during plenary on Tuesday, March 4.
Iyawe argued that Multichoice’s latest price hike, scheduled for implementation, follows a similar increase in May 2024, which had already sparked public outrage.
“The 20-25 per cent hike in subscription prices would be the second time in less than a year, as the last hike was in May 2024,” he said.
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He noted that many Nigerians, struggling with the high cost of living, had abandoned their decoders, frustrated by the lack of competition in the pay-TV sector.
“We are concerned that due to the dominant position of Multichoice in pay-TV, price increases always have a widespread impact and put consumers under undue pressure,” he added.
Iyawe also pointed out that the increase had triggered massive criticism from subscribers, many of whom took to social media to vent their frustration over frequent price hikes without any improvement in service quality.
Following the adoption of the motion, the House ordered Multichoice to suspend the planned increase while its Committee on Commerce conducts an investigation into the company’s pricing policies.
The committee is expected to ensure the implementation of cost-effective measures to protect Nigerian consumers.