FG FINES MULTICHOICE N766 MILLION FOR PRIVACY VIOLATION

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By: Muftau Fatimo

Multichoice Nigeria has been fined ₦766,242,500 by the Federal Government through the Nigeria Data Protection Commission for violating the Nigeria Data Protection Act.

In a statement released on Sunday by Babatunde Bamigboye, NDPC’s Head of Legal, Enforcement, and Regulations, the commission mentioned illegal cross-border transfers of citizen data as well as breaches of subscribers’ privacy rights.

The censure came after an investigation into the company’s invasive data processing practices was started in the second quarter of 2024.

“Multichoice’s extensive data processing is blatantly unfair, needless, disproportionate, and intrusive. Section 37 of the Federal Republic of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution guarantees the fundamental right to privacy, which is gravely violated by this, according to the nation’s data regulator.

The investigation found several breaches, including the unauthorized handling of subscribers’ and non-Multichoice customers’ personal data, according to the NDPC, Despite a February 2025 order from the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission to halt planned price increases while an investigation was conducted, Multichoice proceeded with a price increase on March 1, 2025, which the commission characterized as a willful disregard for the order.

Following that, Multichoice Nigeria Limited and its CEO, John Ugbe,were charged with crimes by the FCCPC for allegedly breaking parts of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act of 2018, hindering an ongoing investigation, and disobeying regulatory instructions.

The charges include willful obstruction, impeding an investigation, and providing misleading information to the commission. NDPC also said it found that the company had been transferring Nigerians’ data abroad without following due process.

The commission said it directed Multichoice to implement remedial measures as part of its standard enforcement procedures. However, the response from the company was deemed “unsatisfactory,” leading to the decision to impose the penalty.

The commission has ordered Multichoice to pay N766,242,500 for violating the Nigeria Data Protection Act due to their lack of cooperation,” Bamigboye stated.He further mentioned that Dr. Vincent Olatunji, the National Commissioner of the NDPC, has mandated a more thorough examination of all Multichoice data collection facilities across the country. “Any outlet that violates the NDP Act by processing personal data faces penalties under the Act,” he stated.

The NDPC emphasized that such transgressions have consequences for the rule of law, national security, and economic development and insisted that Nigeria retains the right to defend its data sovereignty under both domestic and international law.