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The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has called on MultiChoice Nigeria to provide justification for its planned increase in subscription prices, which is scheduled to begin on March 1.
The details of MultiChoice’s summons were shared in a statement by FCCPC spokesperson, Ondaje Ijagwu, in Abuja on Tuesday.
Ijagwu stated that the commission has requested the chief executive officer (CEO) of MultiChoice Nigeria to participate in an investigative hearing at the commission's headquarters on Thursday.
This action comes after MultiChoice formally notified the commission about the price adjustment, which has raised concerns about repeated unilateral price hikes.
Ijagwu expressed that there are worries about potential abuse of market dominance and suspected anti-competitive behavior in the pay-television sector.
“The FCCPC is very concerned that Nigerian consumers are subjected to frequent price increases amid allegations that MultiChoice employs varying pricing strategies in other markets, raising further questions about fairness and potential market abuse.
Should MultiChoice fail to present satisfactory justifications or be determined to violate fair market principles, the FCCPC will have no choice but to impose regulatory penalties, sanctions, or other corrective measures to safeguard the interests of Nigerian consumers. The FCCPC is collaborating with the sector regulator and other relevant bodies to ensure fair competition and consumer protection in Nigeria’s broadcasting and digital subscription market,” he added.
On February 24, MultiChoice disclosed its plan for a price hike for its services, set to commence on March 1. The company alerted its customers through a statement titled “Price adjustments for DStv and GOtv packages.”
According to the announcement, Rocketparrot News report that the price for the DStv Compact bouquet will rise from N15,700 to N19,000, the Compact Plus will increase to N30,000, and the Premium subscription will go up to N44,500. Meanwhile, GOtv customers, who currently pay N3,600, will now be charged N3,900, and the fee for GOtv Plus will rise from N4,850 to N5,800.
Rocketparrot News also state the proposed increase is coming approximately one year after the previous price adjustment.
