The Nigerian Senate on Wednesday, March 30, 2022, in a resolution, urged the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Sheikh Isa Ali Pantami to direct Multichoice-owned DStv and other pay-tv services to drop their bouquet prices in line with current economic realities.
The action of the Senate comes on the heels of the announcement by Multichoice Nigeria that it will increase the bouquet prices for its DStv and GOtv platforms from Friday, April 1, 2022.
Speaking on the antics of DStv, Sen Abba Moro (Benue South- PDP) who moved the motion to call Multichoice to order, said the pay-tv company willfully increased its prices due to lack of regulation. Further calling on Multichoice to drop its bouquet prices, and switch to a pay-per-view model.
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“Without recourse to the economic situation of the country, MultiChoice has again raised the cost of @DStvNg and @GOtvNg bundles.
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“Nigerians are demanding that, rather than paying fixed rates for packages monthly, pay-tv service providers should introduce a subscription model which allows subscribers pay per-view to enable them match their TV consumption to subscription as it is with the case of electricity metering and mobile telephony.
Echoing Sen Moro’s sentiments, Sen Jibrin Barau (Kano North – APC) said, “Permit me to commend the mover of this Motion and to say that I support the content in its entirety. The people of this country are being short-changed by pay-tv.”
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“They (pay-tv) increase fees whenever they like without considering the service they provide to Nigerians. Their service is poor, they don’t give what Nigerians are supposed to have. Because of the nature of electricity we have in this country, sometimes someone will pay but lack of light won’t allow the person enjoy such services yet once the month ends, that money goes. There should be a system where there will be pay-per-view.”
“Again, the regulators should do the needful by not allowing increase of fees by these entities the way they like. It is not in the interest of our people. I thereby support this motion because we need to stand for the interest of our people.
Following the motion raised by the Senators, The red chamber directed the Ministry to compel the pay-tv companies to switch to the pay-per-view model from the monthly subscription model operated by the industry.
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The Senate’s resolution was disclosed in a couple of tweets on the official handle of the Nigerian Senate on Twitter (@NGRSenate).
“Senate resolves to:
i. Urge the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, and the Nigerian Communications Commission to direct all pay-tv providers to introduce a pay-per-view model of subscription against the month to month prepaid model presently in place;
ii. Direct all pay-tv service providers in Nigeria to immediately review their bouquet prices downwards in tandem with the prevailing reality of the economic situation in the country; and
iii. Establish an ad-hoc committee to further investigate this incessant increase in fees by @DStvNg in this country with a view to finding lasting solution to it.
