MultiChoice Nigeria and other pay-tv service providers in the country has been asked by the Nigerian Senate to revert to the pay per view module as against the mandatory monthly subscription.
The Senate gave the directive on Wednesday following a motion sponsored by Senator representing Benue South Senatorial district, Abba Moro.
Moro decried from time to time hiking in prices of various bouquets by the service providers.
Saying that Nigerians are being exploited by pay-tv service providers, Moro noted that the leading pay-tv service provider in Nigeria, (MultiChoice Nigeria) “informed all DStv compact subscribers on August 22, 2020, to expect a 13.3% price increase to N7,900 commencing from September 1, 2020 while the subscription fee for DStv compact plus was increased by 9.5% from N10,925 to N12,000, and Premium was increased from N16,200 to N18,400 indicating a 13.6% hike.”
Further lamenting how prices for various bouquets have again been raised for both the DStv and GOtv without considering the economic hardships subscribers are passing through, Moro told the Senate that Nigerians have angrily reacted to the price hike, hence there was need for legislative intervention.
He added that there was no justification for the price hike, given that the pay-tv services are subscription based television services, usually provided by both analogue and digital cable and satellite televisions.
The lawmakers asked the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy as well as the Nigerian Communications Commission to investigate the frequent price hike.