Multichoice Nigeria has been fined N766.2 million by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) for violating the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDP Act) in what is now the most significant enforcement action since the law came into force in 2023.
The development comes as the satellite television operator grapples with a sharp decline in revenue, subscriber numbers, and mounting regulatory scrutiny.
According to the NDPC, Multichoice was found guilty of violating the data privacy rights of Nigerian subscribers and illegally transferring personal data across borders without proper authorization. The commission said the satellite TV provider’s data collection practices were “patently intrusive, unfair, unnecessary and disproportionate,” particularly impacting not just customers, but their contacts who had not consented to any form of data processing.
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“This is a grave affront to the fundamental right to privacy as enshrined in Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution,” said Babatunde Bamigboye, Head of Legal, Enforcement & Regulations at the NDPC, in a statement issued Sunday.
The agency also noted that the remediation measures initially proposed by Multichoice were unsatisfactory, and the company failed to demonstrate the willingness or ability to align its operations with Nigeria’s data privacy laws.
“For want of cooperation, the Commission has directed Multichoice to pay N766,242,500 for violating the Nigeria Data Protection Act,” it said.
In addition, NDPC has ordered an investigation into all outlets and third-party agents through which Multichoice collects Nigerian citizens’ data. Any found guilty of similar violations may face further penalties.
Financial Headwinds and Subscriber Decline
It is a precarious time for Multichoice, which has been battling steep revenue losses and a shrinking subscriber base, especially in its largest market—Nigeria.
According to its most recent financial report, Nigeria accounted for 77% of the total 1.8 million subscribers lost across its Rest of Africa (RoA) operations. The RoA subscriber base dropped from 9.3 million in 2023 to 7.5 million in 2025. In 2024, Multichoice’s RoA subscriber base fell by 1.2 million—from 9.3 million to 8.1 million—a 13% drop.
“Inflation across key markets remained high (around 20% on a weighted average basis, above 30% in Nigeria and Angola) and caused pressure on customer spending,” Multichoice wrote in its report.
These losses forced Multichoice to cut costs, reduce local content budgets, and shelve plans to expand aggressively in Nigeria and other West African markets.
With subscriber revenue already dwindling and mounting foreign exchange losses, analysts believe the N766.2 million fine could further strain Multichoice’s operations in Nigeria.
In practical terms, the penalty could force Multichoice to scale down operations, renegotiate compliance contracts, or even reconsider its pricing structure to offset liabilities. Given that Nigeria remains its largest single market, any disruptions in regulatory approval or data processing rights could directly impact the company’s bottom line.
Broader Regulatory Wave in Nigeria
The fine also signals a shift in how Nigerian authorities are tightening oversight over digital operators and enforcing data sovereignty.
NDPC’s National Commissioner, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, said the agency had until now pursued a remediation-first approach to ensure business sustainability. However, failure to cooperate leaves the Commission no choice but to impose sanctions.
“Usually, when we investigate and find a breach, if they are ready to comply with the law, what is the point of making noise? It’s only when an organization is unwilling to comply that we are forced to impose sanctions,” Olatunji told Nairametrics in a previous interview.
However, NDPC says it is mindful of not discouraging investments in the Nigerian economy, especially in tech and telecoms. Still, data protection, sovereignty, and user rights will remain central to Nigeria’s regulatory priorities from now on.
Multichoice Nigeria has yet to publicly respond to the fine. It is unclear whether the company will appeal the decision or enter fresh negotiations with the Commission. However, failure to act swiftly could expose it to further legal and regulatory liabilities, including a suspension of its right to process personal data in Nigeria.
Nevertheless, a bold message being passed by Nigeria’s data watchdog is that compliance with its data protection framework is no longer optional—and companies that fail to get in line may pay dearly.