Firm Tasks NBC On Pay TV Monopoly

A broadcasting company, Metrodigital Limited, has called on the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to implement a judgment of the Court of Appeal which ordered it to resolve the impasse between it and MultiChoice.

The Court of Appeal sitting in Port Harcourt had on June 13, 2022, ordered the NBC to within 21 days commence the process of settling the dispute between Metrodigital and MultiChoice over the monopoly of Pay TV services in the country.

Addressing journalists in Port Harcourt yesterday, the managing director of Metrodigital Limited, Dr. Ifeanyi Nwafor, expressed regret that the NBC was yet to respond more than 21 days after the judgment.

Nwafor said: “NBC has not responded and 21 days as ordered by the Appeal Court has passed. However, we have been working with the federal government to ensure that NBC complies.”

He expressed the hope that with the judgment, there would be an end in monopoly of Pay TV services, while the broadcast industry would grow with lots of innovations.
“Many jobs will be created, prices will come down for the Nigerian public. Quality of service delivery will improve due to the new-found competition. United States with a population of 350 million people has more than 400 viable pay-tv companies. There is no reason why Nigeria with a population of over 200 million people should have only one or two,” he added.
Nwafor commended the federal government, especially the Minister of Information and Communications, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, for taking the bold step to stop monopoly in the country.