The Nation Newspaper

Tag: MultiChoice Nigeria

  • MultiChoice names new CEO as Ugbe retires

    MultiChoice names new CEO as Ugbe retires

    MultiChoice Nigeria, a Canal + company, has announced a leadership transition, as Chief Executive Officer, John Ugbe, retires after a distinguished tenure. 

    He will be succeeded by Kemi Omotosho, who will be appointed Chief Executive Officer, Nigeria from January 2026.

    Ugbe steps down after nearly fifteen years at the helm, during which he steered the business through significant industry and market shifts, strengthening operational foundations and long-term resilience.

    Omotosho brings over 20 years of leadership experience across media, telecommunications, and digital businesses in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa. 

    READ ALSO: Trump govt revokes over 100,000 visas amid crackdown on immigrants

    She has held several senior roles within the MultiChoice Group, including Executive Head of Customer Value Management in Nigeria and Group Executive Head of Customer Value Management for Rest of Africa, providing functional leadership across more than 50 markets. Most recently, she served as Regional Director for Southern Africa, with full P&L responsibility for a seven-country portfolio.

    With a proven record of leading complex organisations, driving disciplined growth and building high-performing teams, Omotosho will lead MultiChoice Nigeria’s strategy, operations and stakeholder engagement, building on the foundations laid by her predecessor.

    Speaking on her appointment, Omotosho said; “It is a privilege to be entrusted with the leadership of MultiChoice Nigeria at this important moment. Nigeria remains one of the Group’s most strategic and dynamic markets. I look forward to working with our teams and partners to deepen our relationship with consumers, champion local storytelling and the creative economy as well build a future-ready organisation that delivers sustainable value.”

    The company said Ugbe’s retirement and Omotosho’s appointment follow a structured and orderly transition, ensuring continuity and stability.

  • MultiChoice Nigeria takes battle against piracy to schools

    MultiChoice Nigeria takes battle against piracy to schools

    In a bid to nurture a new generation of originality-driven Nigerians, MultiChoice has held an Anti-Piracy Sensitisation Programme at Kuramo Senior College, Victoria Island, Lagos.

    The outreach targeted secondary school students, aiming to help them understand the dangers of piracy and importance of protecting creative work from an early age.

    The interactive session featured legal experts and creative industry figures, who connected with the students through storytelling, games, and open conversations. They discussed how piracy deprives filmmakers, actors, musicians, and other creatives of their rewards, while also discouraging investors and limiting creative opportunities for young talent across the value chain.

    The highlight of the session was a lively and insightful class led by Mr. Obafemi Agaba, a legal practitioner with extensive experience in intellectual property, corporate commercial law and entertainment rights. He broke down complex topics, such as copyright, trademarks, and creative ownership, into relatable examples, showing students why it’s essential to respect originality and protect creative ideas.

    “Every film you stream illegally, every song or book you share without permission, takes something away from the people who made it,” he told the students. “If you love Nollywood, Afrobeats, and Nigerian creativity, then you must help protect it. That’s how we all build a stronger creative future.”

    READ ALSO: PDP Senator defects to APC, cites ‘Leaking Umbrella’, internal crisis

    The students showed enthusiasm throughout the session, asking thoughtful questions, participating in games, and pledging to be cultural heroes who will “say no to piracy” and support originality.

    Executive Head of Corporate Affairs at MultiChoice Nigeria Caroline Oghuma, explained that the school outreach is part of a long-term strategy to raise a generation that values creativity and rejects content theft.

    “The fight against piracy can’t start and stop with creators; it has to begin in classrooms,” she said. “The future of Nollywood and Nigerian music is sitting right in front of us. If we teach young people to value originality and respect creators, we secure the future of our creative economy.”

    Also in attendance were representatives of the Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), who underscored the legal and moral implications of piracy. Speaking on behalf of the Commission, Mr. Charles Amudipe, Deputy Director of Operations, commended MultiChoice for leading the charge at the grassroots level.

    “Awareness is one of the strongest weapons against piracy,” said Amudipe. “By bringing this conversation to students, we’re not just enforcing the law, we are shaping values that will protect creativity for generations to come.”

    Vice Principal of Kuramo Senior College, Oyewale Taofik praised the initiative, noting that the session opened students’ eyes to issues they had often overlooked.

    “Many of our students and even staff did not realise that forwarding movie links or buying pirated CDs was a form of theft. Today, they’ve learnt that creativity deserves respect and that they can be ambassadors of originality,” he said.

    The sensitisation is part of a broader campaign by MultiChoice Nigeria to raise nationwide awareness against piracy. The movement continues next month with the Walk Against Piracy, scheduled for November 27,  in Lagos. The walk will unite actors, producers, writers, directors, broadcasters, regulators, and fans in a public show of solidarity ahead of National Anti-Piracy Day (November 30).

    Through these sustained efforts, MultiChoice Nigeria continues to champion a creative industry that is fair, original, and globally respected.

  • MultiChoice thrills customers with ‘Step Up, Top Up’ campaign offers

    MultiChoice Nigeria recently embarked on a campaign offer tagged ‘DStv Step Up’ and ‘GOtv Top Up’, geared towards heightening the TV entertainment experience of its customers by giving them access to a higher package than what they paid for.

    The offer is open to both active and disconnected DStv customers on access, family and compact bouquet while Top Up is open to all active and disconnected customers on GOtv Lite, Value and Plus.

    Essentially, DStv customers on the Access package who pay for Family package get a boost to view programmes on the Compact package, while customers on the Family package who pay for Compact package get rewarded with Compact Plus package programming. Likewise, Compact customers who pay for Compact Plus package, in turn, get Premium package programming. In the same regard, existing and potential customers on GOtv; including GOtv Plus, Value and Lite get upgraded to GOtv Max at a reduced-price of N2500 while GOtv tops up with N700, giving customers access to exciting content on GOtv Max package. These upgrades are made within a 48-hour window upon subscription.

    According to MultiChoice Nigeria, this was a never-been-done campaign offer in over 25 years of operation birthed by its commitment to continually seek new ways of improving customers’ experience on its platforms. Already, many Nigerians have keyed into this offer to enjoy a whole new different viewing experience with more exciting programming ranging from sports, entertainment, lifestyle, movies, to mention a few.

    Still on its customer experience streak, the company has in the last three months churned out new content and new channels as evidenced by the launch of NTA 2, NTA Parliament and NTA News 24 on DStv and GOtv; POP Central on DStv in February. There have also been specially curated pop-up channels that focus on specific movie genres.

    Kids were not left out in this entertainment spree as a Cartoon Network SuperHeroHQ channel ran from March 15th till the 31st. Meanwhile, DStv Premium customers with an appetite for the greatest cinematic battles of all time can get a filling with the M-Net Movies Epic pop-up channel which opened March 22nd and will run till April 14th.

    Nigeria, Mr Martin Mabutho said: “It’s our desire to make great content more accessible and this desire drives all our offerings. With the DStv Step Up and GOtv Top Up offers, we are giving our customers the opportunity to experience the exciting programming available across higher packages, at the price of a lower package.”

     

     

  • BBNaija airs past highlights, Double Wahala reunion show

    AS the countdown to the eagerly anticipated fourth season of Big Brother Naija heats up, MultiChoice Nigeria is treating fans of the popular reality TV show to an exclusive reunion show and special pop-up channel on DStv and GOtv.

    The BBNaija pop-up channel opened on Friday, March 1, at 10am and will run till Sunday, March 31, at midnight on DStv channel 198 and GOtv channel 29, featuring highlights from the previous two seasons – See Gobbe and Double Wahala.

    The excitement goes a notch higher with a special reunion show which will air from Monday, 18 March to Sunday, 31 March, featuring the stars of the BBNaija Double Wahala season. The BBNaija pop-up channel is available to active customers on DStv Premium, Compact Plus, Compact, Family, Access and GOtv Max and Plus.

    This has been the most anticipated BBNaija season yet since the announcement of its return for a fourth season in January. Auditions for the show recorded a massive turnout in eight locations across the country followed by an innovative online audition process which closed on the 27th of March. The pop-up channel will take fans and viewers alike on a trip down memory lane while whetting their appetites on the start of the new season.

  • MultiChoice excites GOtv customers with top up campaign offer

    Leading video entertainment, MultiChoice Nigeria is giving customers on its GOtv platform something to smile about this new year with the launch of GOtv ‘Top Up’ campaign.

    Starting Tuesday, 15 January till Monday, 15 April, 2019, all active and disconnected customers on GOtv Plus, Value and Lite will get upgraded to GOtv Max when they pay a reduced fee of N2,500 while GOtv ‘tops up’ with N700.

    Meanwhile, active and disconnected GOtv Max customers can also take advantage of this limited time offer to renew their subscription for only N2,500.

    This offer will give GOtv customers on Plus, Value and Lite an opportunity to experience the exciting premium content available on GOtv Max including La Liga, Serie A, FA Cup, BET, Fox Entertainment, StarLife, ROK 2 and CBS Reality and more.

    Speaking on the campaign, Martin Mabutho, Chief Customer Officer, MultiChoice Nigeria, said the offer is a demonstration of the company’s commitment to rewarding its loyal subscribers and providing more value in 2019.

    He said: “We are pleased to launch this first-of-its-kind offer that will give our customers the opportunity to experience the exciting programming available on GOtv Max at a lower price while we top up the balance.”

    Mabutho urged customers on the GOtv Max, Plus, Value and Lite packages to take advantage of the campaign offer and enjoy the best of sports, latest news, local movies, series and general entertainment in the first quarter of the year.

  • Ugbe: MultiChoice Nigeria is gender friendly

    MultiChoice Nigeria is committed to empowering women, and this has rubbed off in the growth of the firm.

    Chief Executive Officer, Multichoice Nigeria, John Ugbe made this known at the maiden edition of Women in Advertising Cocktail in Lagos.

    ‘‘From having a senior management team of an almost equal gender split, to actively putting in place programs which celebrate gender equality, MultiChoice Nigeria has been extremely progressive in numerous ways,” he said.

    He continued, “Some of our most important operations are headed by very brilliant, hardworking women who, I must say, give the men a run for their money.”

    According to the United Nations Women in every part of the world have been marginalized, often as a result of discriminatory laws, practices, attitudes and gender stereotypes and low levels of education…

    Individual women have overcome these obstacles with great acclaim, and often to the benefit of society at large. But for women as a whole, the playing field needs to be level, opening opportunities for all.

    Speaking on the theme, ‘Growing Female Chief Executives’ Ugbe believe more successful female executives can emerge in Nigeria but not without “taking ownership of your success and toot your horn where necessary,”he said.

    “Get a mentor, be a mentor, the WIMBIZ and their “Big Sister” project is a good example of women mentoring the next generation.”

    “To strive for balance in every area of your life, you have to delegate where possible, collaborate more, ask for help and receive it graciously where necessary.”

    According to Ugbe, “the rise of young professional successful females who have become strong personal brands due to social media and inspiring a new generation of female leaders are Arese Ugwu, InspiredbyGlory, Stephanie Obi, Folusho Gbadamosi and many more. Successful professional females must get an education both in school and in life – you will need it.”

    Speaking on MultiChoice Nigeria’s female to male ratio in the senior management team, Ugbe acknowledged that this ratio is not a common feature emphasing that women on the management team have been extremely beneficial to the company.

    ‘‘Women are finishers, more detail-oriented and often more emotionally intelligent than their male colleagues; this is why MultiChoice is constantly looking for female talent that add value and contribute meaningfully.’’

    Mrs. Tope Jemerigbe, CEO, DKK Nigeria and Mrs. Angela Emuwa, Chairman Punch Newspapers, were present at the forum. They lend their voice on the need for mentorship, networking, capacity building and work-life balance for women in Nigeria.

  • MultiChoice: 25 years in Nigeria

    Nigerians aged 35 and above are unlikely to have problems recalling what constituted our entertainment staple before 1993. It broadly consisted of movie releases at 10pm after the news bulletin on national or state-owned television, blockbuster movies on video cassette recorders, old Latin American soaps and dramas, recorded matches of the Premier League and for the children, cartoons early in the evening. Each, I have to say, fulfilled its role.

    Then came satellite TV in the name of MultiChoice Nigeria to change the future of television.

    A quarter of a century later, MultiChoice has grown to become a household name and a lifestyle choice in the country, bringing entertainment and information to millions of homes, cutting across different ages and cultures, as well as making huge contributions to the nation’s economy via huge investments.

    Television, it is safe to say, has never been more powerful since November 1993 when MultiChoice landed on these shores.

    How did the company succeed in causing a sea change in the television sector, where it has remained the dominant operator?  Given where we were at the time MultiChoice commenced operations in the country, I would say the company showed enormous faith in Nigeria, was committed to providing high quality pay television service through investments in cutting-edge technology, content and service to kick off a revolution.

    MultiChoice came into the country at a time of great political upheaval and uncertainty induced by the annulment of the 1993 presidential election, a period the country was, with some justification, avoided like a plague. The foul socio-political weather aside, there was the huge infrastructural deficit in the country, a state of affairs that required a pioneer to provide for its own needs. This required eye-watering financial investments and near-blind faith in a climate of political uncertainty.

    Notable among investments made in infrastructure were the commissioning of the Eutelsat satellite at a cost of N1.3 billion for the provision of the KU-Band transmission service, having a spot-beam with Nigeria at its epicenter; building of the Lagos up-link to enable the carriage of the national free-to air channels, yearly expansion of satellite transponder capacity for the continuing carriage of these free-to-air channels as well as backhaul of the channels to the company’s facilities in Guadalajara in Spain at no cost to the channel providers.

    MultiChoice, over the years, has continued to invest heavily in the latest technology in digital television, including its decoders, which it has consistently improved upon, new products, improved services and new payment systems.

    The company has also been the leading figure in the country’s efforts to migrate from analogue to digital transmission being the first two introduce the second generation broadcast technology through its GOtv platform.

    The launch of new technologies has contributed to the efforts of the government to create quality employment in the engineering and technical fields.

    Through its products, MultiChoice has demonstrated commitment to Nigeria’s progress by ramping up its investment in local content. This has been variously demonstrated by SuperSports in increasing interest to solicit local content for programming and support for Nigerian boxing through GOtv Boxing Night to mention just a few. The entertainment industry owes a large slice of its progress to support for MultiChoice, whose Africa Magic range of channels has established the country’s cultural hegemony by providing local artistes and producers the platform to showcase their talents to millions of viewers across the continent.

    And to ensure an improvement in production quality, MultiChoice has continued to invest in various capacity building efforts for professionals in the creative content industry. The latest of these efforts is the MultiChoice Talent Factory initiative, which is aimed at raising the next crop of African film and television professionals by equipping them with skills capable of putting them on the same level with their counterparts in other parts of the world. A major element of the initiative is the MultiChoice Talent Factory Academy, a fully-funded one-year training programme for young people in the creative industry. The continent-wide initiative has three academies, with the one for West Africa located in Nigeria.

    The company has, in addition to providing family entertainment, continued to contribute to the country’s social and economic development through the creation of job opportunities via local entrepreneurship schemes in dealership, training of a network of installers to assist in the installation of DStv and GOtv hardware as well as resolution of issues associated with the products.

    On the Corporate Social Investment front, MultiChoice has invested a huge amount of resources in the rollout of over 300 MultiChoice Resource Centres in secondary schools in 29 states of the country. Each beneficiary school receives a TV set, High Definition personal video recorder (HDPVR) decoder, generating set, complimentary subscription to DStv education bouquet, which contains BBC World, BBC Knowledge, National Geography, Animal Planet, National Geography Wild, History Channel, Learn and ED channel, as well as facilities such as chairs and tables.

    Equally importantly, the company has been a good corporate citizen, paying about 10 different tax types to government.

    Badru, a business analyst, writes from Suleja

     

  • MultiChoice vs. CPC

    NOT surprisingly, there have been diverse reactions to last Monday’s ruling by Justice Nnamdi Dimgba of the Federal High Court, Abuja, restraining MultiChoice, Nigeria’s leading Pay TV provider and operator of DStv and GOtv services from implementing new tariffs on its bouquet of products. In July, MultiChoice Nigeria announced new monthly subscription rates for its bouquet of products to take effect on August 1. Incensed that the review was in breach of an agreement between it and the Pay TV operator not to increase tariffs until subsisting issues bordering on consumer complaints were resolved, the Consumer Protection Council (CPC) had dragged the company to court.

    With the ruling thus effectively barring the company from undertaking any tariff review until the final determination of the matter, many have charged the CPC of overreaching its regulatory powers, more so as the ruling touches on the right of the company to determine the appropriate tariff to charge for its products.

    We see the issue differently. It seems to us as more about the duty of an agency charged with the protection of consumer rights to initiate an action on behalf of aggrieved consumers. In other words, it conduces, ultimately, to the right of the PayTV subscriber to get value for every kobo’s worth.

    Of course, it would have been a different matter if the complaints were spurious or mere fabrications, or as it is being made out by some – albeit superficially – that the issue is simply about tariff. We are talking here of a company whose dominant position makes it effectively a monopoly in the Pay TV space, one whose decades-old stranglehold on the industry confers enormous advantages which even the closest competitors do not enjoy – but whose management of consumer issues falls miserably short of global standards.

    Again, it bears stating that the issues certainly did not pop up yesterday nor did it start at the court room, contrary to what is being bandied in the public space. They are essentially about the poor quality of services rendered by the Pay TV provider. These range from subscribers not receiving signals even after subscription has been paid; disconnection of services prior to end of billing cycle with no credit applied for paid time lost; lack of clarity in terms and conditions; non-activation of free to air channels except when a consumer complained, and confusing toll-free customer care telephone channels. They also include complaints about arbitrary charges; confusing billing; blocking of some channels already subscribed; poor picture or signal quality with excessive and un-compensated downtime during both inclement and clear weather conditions, and lack of responsiveness, among others.

    More fundamentally is that these complaints have been subject of investigations at various times – first by the CPC under the then Director-General, Dupe Atoki, in 2015; followed by a public hearing by the House of Representatives in 2016; and then the most recent – launched by the CPC in November 2017. According to CPC, the high point of the discussion and subsequent agreement is that no new tariffs be implemented until the issues, most of which it claimed the company acknowledged, were resolved.

    That appears to be the crux of the matter. By hiking the tariffs while the discussions are still on-going, CPC accuses MultiChoice of “blatant bad faith”. It is hard to imagine a serious consumer protection agency going to sleep over what it perceived as breaches of an agreement let alone on an issue that touches fundamentally at the core its mandate.The CPC, to that extent, can hardly be faulted.

    More fundamentally however is that the current structure of the Pay TV market comes nowhere near the ideal of a truly liberalised one. Most certainly, the time has come for the Federal Government to initiate policies to terminate the current lopsided structure under which a dominant player would be allowed to call the shots. A good way to start is to not just seek to understand the reasons behind the high mortality rates of local Pay TV companies, but to deal appropriately with them.

  • Dewunmi Ogunsanya set for daughter’s traditional wedding

    Dewunmi Ogunsanya set for daughter’s traditional wedding

    Excitement is rippling through the circle of high society as the day approaches for the traditional engagement and wedding ceremony of the daughter of Lagos big boy, Dewunmi Ogunsanya. The reason for the frenzy is not far-fetched: the top lawyer and chairman of MultiChoice Nigeria is one man who knows how to host a high-octane party.

    Come December 17, the road leading to Dewunmi’s multi-billion naira Ikoyi mansion will be paved in red as the crème de la crème of high society join Dewunmi’s family and friends to celebrate his daughter’s big day. The successful businessman, who is also a top director at Heritage Bank, is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the event lingers in the mind for a long time.

    Although the madam of the house, Mojisola, will not be around to play the good host she was reputed for, having lost her battle with cancer a few years ago, there is no doubt that the upcoming ceremony will be top notch as Dewunmi is more than equal to the task of honouring her memory by making their daughter’s big day a memorable one.

  • Dstv brings AFRIMA live to screens

    Dstv brings AFRIMA live to screens

    THE management of Multichoice Nigeria has announced that it will broadcast the All Africa Music Awards (AFRIMA) live on DStv and GOtv on 10-12 November.

    The awards will be screened live on DStv Premium, Compact, Compact +, Family and Access customers; and also on GOtv Max and GOtv Plus Channel 29, its management says.

    Rated as one of the biggest music awards in Africa with participation of over 700 artistes across the continent, the 4th edition of AFRIMA will be held in Nigeria, which has been the host city since 2014 and will be co-hosted by multi-award winning artist and composer, Akon and one of Cameroon’s biggest entertainment personalities and host Sophy.

    “This is the first time that we have screened these spectacular awards live on our platforms. We hope to be able to keep showcasing these awards in the future, so that we are part of celebrating the amazing musical talent that we have in our continent,” said Martin Mabutho, the General Manager, Marketing, MultiChoice Nigeria.

    Nominees in over 33 regional and continental categories are battling it out for the coveted AFRIMA 23.9 karat gold-plated trophy. These include the AFRIMA Legend Award and Music/Entertainment Journalist of the Year award. Well-known sensational African music names on the AFRIMA nominees list include: Becca ft Patoranking (Ghana), Yemi Alade and Tiwa Savage (Nigeria)in the Best Female in West Africa Category; Eddy Kenzo (Uganda), Davido (Nigeria), Fally Ipupa (DRC) in the Artiste of the Year Category; Darassa (Tanzania), Ebony (Ghana), The Dogg (Namibia) and Nyashiki (Kenya) in the African Fans Favourite Category. Artists vying for Album of the Year include Angola’s Anselmo Ralph, Dark suburb (Ghana), Wizkid (Nigeria), Hugh Masekela (South Africa) and more.