The House of representatives has directed Multichoice, the operator of DStv and GOtv, to suspend its planned subscription price increase, citing concerns over the economic hardship facing Nigerians.
The directive was sequence to a motion raised under Matters of Urgent Public Importance during Tuesday’s plenary by Esosa Iyawe (APC, Oredo Federal Constituency)
Hon Iyawe highlighted that the price hike is the second in less than a year, with the last increase occurring in May 2024.
The lawmakers also launched an investigation into the recurring price hikes by the Pay-TV provider.
.
Multichoice recently announced a hike in subscription rates across all its packages, citing rising operational costs. However, this marks the second increase in less than a year,” Iyawe stated
Its similarly announced that, effective March 1, the DStv Premium package would rise from ₦37,000 to ₦44,500, while Compact+ subscribers would pay ₦30,000 instead of ₦25,000. The Compact bouquet was also set to increase from ₦17,000 to ₦19,000.
. Hon Iyawe noted that past increments had sparked widespread public outrage, with many Nigerians, already struggling financially, abandoning their decoders due to the lack of competition in the pay-TV sector.
He further argued that Multichoice’s dominance in the market meant that any price increase had a widespread impact, placing consumers under undue financial pressure.
Following the adoption of the motion, the House mandated its Committee on Commerce to investigate the frequent price hikes and recommend policies to ensure fair pricing for Nigerian consumers. The committee was given four weeks to submit its findings.
With this move, lawmakers aim to protect Nigerians from arbitrary subscription increases and ensure that pay-TV services remain affordable amid ongoing economic challenges.