Business

Multichoice, Nigerian Senate Differ On Pay-per-view

Published

4 years ago

September 22, 2022

Editor

The dominant broadcast service provider, Multichoice Nigeria Thursday disagreed with the proposed plan of the Senate on reduction of the tariffs being paid by viewers.

The Multichoice was the only broadcast service provider to vehemently opposed the proposed pay-per-view out of almost all stakeholders that turned out at a one day public hearing organized by the Senate Ad-hoc Committee on “Pay-TV Hikes And Demand for Pay-per-view subscription model,” headed by Senator Aliyu Sabi Abdullahi.

The broadcast service provider in its submission to the Committee defended its stand and cited challenges in the communication industry as reasons there should be price hike, particularly the lack of power and insecurity rocking the nation.

In his oral submission at the Committee, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Multichoice Nigeria, John Ugbe, said the pay-per-view will hurt the economy, insisting that for the past 27 years of their operations, the model being planned by the legislators would not augur well despite Nigeria’s free market economy.

He urged the parliament to allow them to determine what Nigerians pay, noting that Nigeria doesn’t have the.consucove environment, either.

“Pay television services compete with other services for subscribers’ disposable income, including existing broadcasting services (public, commercial free-to-air and other pay television services), and other entertainment services, such as YouTube, Facebook, cinemas, video rental outlets and DVD retailers.

“The demand for pay television services fluctuates and is very sensitive to the price a subscriber has to pay and affordability factors.”

The position of Multichoice was contrary to the of the TSTV, which admitted that they have been operating pay-per-view from inception after they were licensed to operate, stressing that the current model of subscription made viewers to pay for channels they don’t watch.

Ugbe said: “If the subscription fees are either too high or too low, the pay television service will fail. If the subscription fees are too high, the subscribers will unsubscribe, or will not subscribe in the first place, and the business will be unable to gain the critical mass necessary for its survival.”

“In determining subscription fees, MultiChoice takes into account many factors, including inflation, increasing input costs, ever escalating costs of technical upgrades, the impact on subscribers and the exchange rate fluctuations.

The position of TSTV, another broadcast service provider seems to be aligned with the thinking of the Senate, given that citizens have decried the price hike in subscription to Multichoice, a development that brought about the Senate constituting the Ad-hoc Committee to lose into the grievances of citizens.

In the similar vein, Startimes Nigeria posited that the pay-per-view was sustainable in as much as viewers would subscribe and pay for only channel of their choice, instead of the monthly subscription which costs them move.

Chairman of a Committee and the Deputy Chief Whip of the Senate, Abdullahi Sabi and Senator Abba Moro maintained that the Committee would weigh all presentations before taking a decision.

Before the meeting was adjourned ‘sine die’, the Chairman promised to look into other submissions by stakeholders who were unavoidably absent before reverting its report to the Senate for legislative debate.

Business

Again, Dangote Refinery Hikes Fuel Price

Published

10 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Editor

Dangote Refinery has increased the ex-depot price of petrol by N75, bringing the price up to N1,350 per litre from the previous price of N1,275.

This is the first fuel increase by the Refinery in the month of May.

This latest development is coming seven days after the refinery raised its ex-depot price from N1,200 to N1,275 per litre.

Recall that the refinery on April 29 increased the ex-depot price of petrol by N75.

Business

Why We Sited Our Multi-Billion Naira Automobile Firm Branch in Benin – Skyewise Group CEO

Published

2 days ago

May 4, 2026

Editor

Dr. Elvis Abuyere, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Skyewise Group, an automobile firm, has explained the reason for establishing a branch of the company in Benin City, the Edo State capital, describing the ancient city as “a growing economy full of enormous potential for vibrant youth.”

He added that the company considers Edo State one of the most interesting states, noting that the decision aligns with its long-term vision.

Abuyere, who spoke in Benin on Monday while taking journalists on a tour of the new automobile facility, said:
“We started very small — from Abuja to Lagos and now Benin. It is a joy and privilege for us to have completed this amazing regional office with Skyewise Group.”

According to him, beyond the automobile business, Skyewise Group is in Benin to invest in real estate, logistics, youth empowerment, and credit management. “Aand also to lend our support to what the Edo State Government is doing, knowing the fact that there is an agenda,” he added.

The young CEO urged youths in Nigeria, particularly those in Edo State, to embrace entrepreneurship, stressing that “we believe it is the future of Africa,” especially Nigeria.

He said Nigeria stands as the giant of Africa and that its youth must take bold steps in the entrepreneurship landscape.

According to Abuyere, to ensure Edo youths actualise their entrepreneurial potential, the company has prepared soft loans to help them start businesses, adding that Skyewise Group is not limited to automobile operations.

He said: “More importantly to us is youth empowerment. We want our youth to be empowered, and this is where the Skyewise Foundation comes in.

“We believe the future of Africa is entrepreneurship, and that future lies in the hands of the young people of Nigeria. We want to empower them to stand the test of time, build something meaningful, and reduce unemployment and insecurity in our land.

“I believe we need to begin taking bold steps by refining the mindset of our young people. We need to give them a sense of belonging and direction.

“We have been addressing the liquidity gap in society by providing microloans to support businesses in our environment and in Benin City.”

When asked why he chose Benin City for the multi-billion naira automobile firm, Abuyere noted: “I think this is the first automobile showroom in Edo State where you can see a car lifted from the ground floor to the first floor and beyond.”

Business

JUST IN: Nigerian Filling Stations Reduce Fuel Price After Hike

Published

4 days ago

May 2, 2026

Editor

Nigerian filling stations reduced their Premium Motor Spirit price on Saturday, barely 24 hours after the hike.

Checks by DAILY POST showed that Ranoil, Empire Energy, and other filling stations in Abuja adjusted their petrol pumps to N1,365 and N1,375 per litre respectively, down from N1,440 per litre on Friday.

This means that petroleum marketers dropped their fuel price by N65 and N75 per litre. DAILY POST reports that the move was to attract patronage from customers.

Recall that three days ago, Nigerian filling stations had raised their petrol pump price to between N1,365 and N1,440 nationwide after Dangote Refinery and depot owners increased ex-depot prices to around N1,275 and N1,290 per litre.

According to DAILY POST, while the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and MRS Bovas filling stations raised their petrol price to around N1,365 per litre, others adjusted theirs above N1,440 per litre.

However, with the latest fuel price reduction by Ranoil and Empire Energy, the majority of filling station outlets now dispense petrol between N1,365 and N1,375 per litre.

This development comes as the ripple effect of crude oil prices continues to impact Nigeria’s domestic fuel price.

Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude rose to $114 and $105 per barrel before dropping to $108 and $101 after the filing of this report.