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FCCPC Sues MultiChoice Over Alleged Violations

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By Adedapo Adesanya

The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) has announced that it has formally instituted legal proceedings against MultiChoice Nigeria Limited amid a tussle to increase prices in the Nigerian market.

Also named in the action is Multichoice’s chief executive, Mr John Ugbe, for allegedly violating regulatory directives, obstructing an ongoing inquiry and engaging in conduct deemed violations of the provisions of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act (FCCPA) 2018.

Recall that the FCCPC directed MultiChoice Nigeria on February 27, 2025 to maintain its pricing structure for DStv and GOtv pending the conclusion of an examination of its proposed price hike.

However, despite this directive, the company proceeded with its price increase on March 1, 2025. FCCPC said this is “in clear defiance of the commission’s directive.”

“Following this blatant disregard for regulatory oversight, the FCCPC has filed charges against MultiChoice Nigeria and John Ugbe at the Federal High Court, Lagos Judicial Division, on three counts of offences under the FCCPA 2018, specifically for willfully obstructing the Commission’s inquiry by implementing a price hike contrary to directives (Section 33(4)), impeding the ongoing investigation by ignoring instructions to suspend the hike (Section 110), and attempting to mislead the Commission by proceeding with the increase without objection (Section 159(2), punishable under Section 159(4)(a) and (b)),” a statement on Wednesday read in parts.

The FCCPC alleged that MultiChoice’s actions were “deliberate and calculated attempt to undermine regulatory authority, disrupt market fairness, and deny Nigerian consumers the protection afforded under the law,” adding that “By disregarding the FCCPC’s directive and implementing the price hike before appearing before the Commission’s investigative hearing on March 6, 2025, MultiChoice has not only flouted regulatory processes but also demonstrated a pattern of conduct that undermines consumer rights and fair competition.”

The FCCPC also threatened to pursue other punishments for the broadcasting company.

“In addition to these legal actions, the FCCPC is reviewing further enforcement measures, including sanctions, penalties, and regulatory interventions, to ensure compliance and accountability,” it added in the statement signed by Mr Ondaje Ijagwu, its Director of Corporate Affairs.

Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.

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Resida Targets Nigeria’s Rental Market With New Housing App

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By Adedapo Adesanya

Resida, a property technology startup focused on modernising the rental experience, has officially launched its all-in-one housing platform designed to simplify how Nigerians find homes, pay rent and manage property-related services.

The platform enters the market at a time when renters across major Nigerian cities continue to face challenges such as fake property listings, fragmented rental processes, poor record keeping and difficulty accessing reliable maintenance services.

Resida brings these services together within a single ecosystem, allowing users to search verified and inspected properties, apply for shortlet or long-term rentals, make secure rent payments and access trusted artisans for repairs and maintenance.

According to the company, the platform was built to address long-standing inefficiencies in Nigeria’s rental market by providing a more transparent and structured experience for tenants, landlords and property managers.

“Renting in Lagos has never had the infrastructure it deserves. For too long, the rental experience has been stressful, fragmented and built on trust gaps,” said Mr Ilemobayo Kings Ayejuni, Founder of Resida.

“We built Resida because tenants, agents and landlords deserve a process that is transparent, secure and simple, from the first property search to rent payment and ongoing maintenance,” he said.

Beyond helping renters find homes, the platform offers landlords and property managers tools to streamline operations, including tenant verification, automated rent collection, financial reporting and maintenance request tracking.

The company says it is currently active in more than 15 locations across Lagos, with a growing inventory of verified properties available to renters across the city.

The launch reflects growing innovation within Nigeria’s property technology sector, where startups are increasingly using digital solutions to address challenges in housing access and rental management.

Available on Android, iOS and the web, the Resida app enables users to discover verified properties, apply for rentals, manage rent payments, keep track of tenancy records and connect with trusted artisans for maintenance needs, all from a single platform designed to make renting simpler and more reliable.

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Truecaller Lite Expands Caller ID, Scam Protection to Nigerian Android Users

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By Modupe Gbadeyanka

A new app designed specifically for entry-level Android smartphones to verify contacts and block unwanted communication has been made available to millions of Nigerians by Truecaller.

Known as Truecaller Lite, this platform places fraud protection directly on the devices millions of Nigerians already carry, rather than asking them to find space they do not have.

At just 10 MB, Truecaller Lite is a separate, native Android app designed from the ground up for devices with limited resources. It is a new product, not a reduced version of the main Truecaller app.

The app delivers the protections users rely on most, including caller ID, spam and fraud blocking, default dialer, number search, and contacts, while remaining fast, lightweight, and reliable on entry-level smartphones. The protection is the same as the main app, drawing on the same Truecaller database that identified more than 68 billion spam and fraud calls worldwide in 2025.

In Nigeria, where entry-level Android devices are among the most widely owned smartphones, Truecaller Lite is distributed through both the Google Play Store and Partner OEM channels.

Fraud and unwanted communication continue to rise in Nigeria. In 2025, Nigeria was the most spammed country in Africa, with 51 per cent of all unknown calls received by Nigerian users identified as spam or fraud, more than one in every two. Many of the markets most affected by these trends are also those where entry-level Android devices dominate, which makes accessible protection more important than ever. Nigeria remains a priority market for Truecaller.

“Safe communication should not depend on the phone you have. The next billion users live in markets where entry-level devices are often the norm.

“Truecaller Lite is a new product built specifically for them, and it was important for us to provide the same protection from spam and fraud that users expect from Truecaller around the world,” the chief executive of Truecaller, Mr Rishit Jhunjhunwala, stated.

Truecaller Lite is now expanding to Kenya, Ghana, Algeria, Chile, Egypt, Iraq, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Malaysia, with additional launches planned across emerging markets.

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Subscribers to Enjoy Free Upgrades on Select DStv, GOtv Packages

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By Modupe Gbadeyanka

MultiChoice Nigeria has commenced a one-month campaign tagged Open Time, offering new and existing subscribers free package upgrades.

A statement from the company disclosed that the promotion runs from June 1 to 30, 2026, and gives eligible DStv and GOtv customers access to higher subscription packages at no additional cost in the month of June.

However, these upgrades are on select DStv or GOtv packages. Subscribers will automatically be upgraded to a higher package at the price of their current subscription for the duration of the offer.

MultiChoice said the upgrade is intended to give subscribers a broader viewing experience for the month, spanning drama, sport, action and children’s programming available on the higher-tier packages.

Customers who pay for DStv Compact Plus or DStv Compact bouquets will be upgraded to DStv Premium, while DStv Confam customers will be upgraded to DStv Compact. DStv Yanga customers will receive access to DStv Confam.

Similarly, GOtv Supa and GOtv Max subscribers will receive access to the GOtv Supa Plus package, while GOtv Jolli subscribers will be upgraded to GOtv Max.

The upgrades will remain active for as long as the customer’s account is fully paid during the campaign period. At the end of the promotion on June 30, subscriptions will revert to their original packages.

Subscribers can renew or activate their accounts via the DStv and GOtv websites, the MyDStv and MyGOtv apps, USSD, banking channels or at payment points nationwide.

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