By Ayomide Otitoju
The Federal Government has imposed a fine of ₦766,242,500 on Multichoice Nigeria for violating provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, according to the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC).
In a statement issued Sunday, Head of Legal, Enforcement, and Regulations at NDPC, Babatunde Bamigboye, said the sanction followed an extensive investigation into complaints of intrusive and unlawful data processing by the pay-TV provider.
“The depth of data processing by Multichoice is patently intrusive, unfair, unnecessary, and disproportionate,” the NDPC said, describing it as a “grave affront” to citizens’ privacy rights protected under Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution.
The probe, launched in Q2 2024, revealed that Multichoice had engaged in the unauthorised collection and cross-border transfer of personal data, including data belonging to individuals who were not subscribers.
The NDPC also criticised the company’s failure to comply with remedial directives issued during the course of enforcement. “For want of cooperation, the commission has directed Multichoice to pay ₦766,242,500,” Bamigboye stated.
In addition, the NDPC disclosed that its National Commissioner, Dr. Vincent Olatunji, has ordered a comprehensive audit of all Multichoice data collection outlets nationwide, warning that any outlet found in breach of the law will face penalties.
The data breach adds to a growing list of regulatory issues facing Multichoice. In February 2025, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) had ordered the company to halt its planned price increase. Multichoice, however, proceeded with the hike on March 1, 2025, prompting the FCCPC to file criminal charges against the firm and its CEO, John Ugbe, for obstruction and misleading conduct.
The NDPC emphasized that Nigeria will continue to assert its data sovereignty and uphold the rule of law, warning that violations of this nature pose significant threats to national security and economic development.
