MultiChoice Nigeria’s first female Chief Executive Officer, Kemi Omotosho, in this interview with THISDAY reflects on more than three decades in the country, the company’s economic and creative-industry footprint, changing consumer habits and its plans to reach more Nigerians through television, streaming and technology
Belated congratulations on making history as the first female CEO of MultiChoice Nigeria. What does this appointment mean to you personally and what message do you think it sends to women aspiring to leadership positions?
Thank you. It is a significant milestone, and I’m incredibly proud of it. Being the first female CEO of MultiChoice Nigeria means a lot to me, and I certainly hope I won’t be the last. I’ve never looked at leadership as something that belongs to men or women. It is about competence, hard work, courage, delivering results and being ready to seize the opportunity when it comes.
I hope my appointment inspires other women, particularly younger women coming up behind us, to look at leadership positions and think, “Why not me?” Don’t put a ceiling on your ambition. Work hard, back yourself, and when the opportunity comes, be ready for it.
Nigeria is one of MultiChoice’s biggest and most challenging markets, with rising costs and changing consumer habits. What are you doing to deliver greater value to subscribers and strengthen the business?
Nigeria is a critical market for us, and we remain very committed to it. The reality is that the Nigerian consumer is under pressure, and our focus is clear: continue to deliver great content while making our products more affordable, accessible and flexible.
We are already taking action. We reduced the entry price for DStv and GOtv to N15,000 for a full set, with monthly packages starting from N6,000. We also launched DStv Stream, so customers can now enjoy DStv without a dish or installation, giving them more choice in how and where they watch.
Content remains at the heart of our business, and technology will increasingly shape how we deliver it. We are also excited to now be part of CANAL+, a truly global media and entertainment group. It opens up significant opportunities for Nigeria; from content and technology to innovation, scale and best practices from markets around the world.
And there is more to come. We will continue to innovate around affordability, flexibility and accessibility; building not just for how Nigerians consume entertainment today, but for how they will consume it tomorrow.
MultiChoice has operated in Nigeria for more than three decades. How has the company’s relationship with the country evolved during that period?
After more than 30 years, MultiChoice is much more than a business operating in Nigeria; we have become part of everyday life. Generations of Nigerian families have grown up with DStv; watching football, enjoying their favourite local and international shows, and sharing some of the country’s biggest entertainment moments.
Nigeria has changed enormously over that time, and we have evolved with it; investing, building local partnerships and remaining committed through different economic cycles. We are still here, still investing and still excited about Nigeria’s future.
When we started, the ambition was to bring great entertainment into Nigerian homes. Today, it is much broader than that. We make meaningful socio-economic contributions to Nigeria; investing in Nigerian stories, talent and content, supporting thousands of jobs and livelihoods, and working with an extensive network of dealers, installers, producers and partners across the country.
I’m particularly proud of the role we have played in helping Nigerian content and talent grow. Nigerian stories are not only being watched at home; they are increasingly travelling across Africa and beyond.
So, our relationship with Nigeria has evolved from serving a market to being deeply invested in its growth. And after more than three decades, we still see enormous opportunity ahead.
There are persistent misconceptions about MultiChoice’s ownership. Can you explain the company’s ownership structure and what it means for its operations in Nigeria?
It’s actually quite straightforward. Since September 2025, MultiChoice has been part of CANAL+, a global media and entertainment group headquartered in France, with operations across 70 countries. MultiChoice Nigeria operates as part of that global group, but our business here remains firmly focused on Nigeria; our customers, our people, our partners and our local creative industry.
What being part of CANAL+ gives us is the best of both worlds: strong local knowledge and execution, backed by the scale, technology, content and experience of a global group. For our customers, that creates exciting opportunities for even more innovation, choice and value.
Beyond entertainment, what are MultiChoice Nigeria’s most significant contributions to the country’s economy?
Our contribution goes well beyond entertainment. Over the years, we have built an ecosystem that supports thousands of jobs and livelihoods: from our employees and production crews to dealers, installers, content creators and small businesses across the country.
We also invest significantly in Nigeria’s creative industry, sports, technology and infrastructure. Importantly, our approach is not simply to create jobs within MultiChoice, but to help create opportunities beyond MultiChoice.
The MultiChoice Talent Factory is a great example. We fully sponsor young Nigerians to develop practical skills in film and television production, working with Pan-Atlantic University and gaining hands-on experience on real productions. The goal is to equip them to build careers, create businesses, employ others and tell more Nigerian stories.
For us, sustainable impact is about creating opportunities that continue to multiply: creating economic value today while investing in the people and industries that will drive Nigeria’s growth tomorrow.
How much autonomy does MultiChoice Nigeria have in making business, investment and operational decisions within the Nigerian market?
We have significant autonomy to run the business in a way that responds to the realities of the Nigerian market, while operating within the broader strategy and standards of the Group. Nigeria is a unique market, so decisions around our products, pricing, distribution and customer experience have to reflect how Nigerians live, buy and consume entertainment. Some of the solutions we have developed here are unique to Nigeria because they are designed specifically for this market.
The advantage of being part of a global group is that we can draw on ideas, technology and experience from other markets and adapt what works for Nigeria. Equally, when we develop something successful here, there is an opportunity for other markets to learn from us.
So, the principle is quite simple: we think globally, but we act locally.
How does MultiChoice balance being part of a multinational group with maintaining a distinctly Nigerian identity and responding to local realities?
Being part of a global group and being distinctly Nigerian are not contradictory. In fact, our strength comes from combining the two. We have access to global ideas, content and expertise, but what we create here has to feel authentically Nigerian. Big Brother Naija is a great example. The original format may have come from outside Nigeria, but what we have created here is unmistakably Nigerian: the personalities, the language, the music, the fashion, the conversations and the culture around it. That same thinking runs through our local content. We understand that Nigerian audiences want to see themselves, their stories and their experiences reflected on screen.
So, global gives us scale and access, but local gives us relevance. You need both to succeed in a market like Nigeria.
What role do partnerships with Nigerian producers, broadcasters, government agencies and other stakeholders play in the company’s long-term strategy?
Partnerships are fundamental to how we operate in Nigeria. We have been here for more than 30 years, and one thing we have learnt is that you cannot build a successful, sustainable business in isolation. We work closely with Nigerian producers and creatives to tell great local stories, with broadcasters and industry partners to strengthen the sector, and with government and regulators to create the right environment for investment and growth.
We see our partners as part of our ecosystem, not simply as suppliers or stakeholders. These are relationships we have built for the long term. When our partners grow, we grow and ultimately, the Nigerian creative industry becomes stronger. That collaboration will remain central to our long-term strategy in Nigeria.
The media landscape is changing rapidly with the growth of streaming and digital platforms. How is MultiChoice adapting while continuing to invest in Nigeria?
The media landscape is changing quickly, and we are changing with it. Consumers want more choice and flexibility, and our strategy is to give them more options: from the package that best suits their needs to how they choose to access and watch our content, whether through traditional satellite television or streaming.
DStv Stream is a great example. Customers can now access DStv without a dish, decoder or installation; simply subscribe to their preferred package and start watching. We are also enhancing our apps and digital platforms, putting more control in customers’ hands – from managing their accounts and payments to accessing information and engaging with us digitally.
At the same time, Nigeria is a diverse market and traditional television remains important. We are not choosing between traditional television and streaming; we are investing in both, strengthening the traditional television while accelerating our investment in streaming, technology and digital experiences.
What doesn’t change is our commitment to Nigeria. We will continue investing in great Nigerian content, developing local talent and ensuring Nigerian stories reach audiences at home and increasingly around the world.
What are the biggest misconceptions Nigerians have about MultiChoice and what would you like the public to understand better about the company?
I think one of the biggest misconceptions is that MultiChoice is simply DStv and GOtv, a company that sells television subscriptions. We are much more than that. Behind what customers see on screen is a large Nigerian ecosystem of producers, actors, creatives, employees, dealers, installers and small businesses whose livelihoods are connected to what we do. We have invested in this country for more than 30 years, through different economic cycles, and we continue to invest.
I also think people sometimes assume that decisions about Nigeria are made somewhere else. The reality is that we have a strong Nigerian team that understands this market, listens to our customers and makes decisions with Nigerian realities in mind, while benefiting from the scale and expertise of a global group.
What I would like Nigerians to understand is that we are deeply invested in this country. We have invested in Nigeria, grown with Nigeria and remain committed to its future.
Looking ahead, what is MultiChoice Nigeria’s vision for the next decade and what legacy does the company hope to leave in Nigeria’s media, entertainment and creative industries?
Our vision is ambitious: we want to bring great entertainment to every Nigerian home; in whatever way people choose to watch it. Over the next decade, that means continuing to evolve beyond traditional television – using technology to reach more people, making our products more affordable and accessible, giving customers greater choice and flexibility, and continuing to bring them the best local and international entertainment and sport.
But our ambition goes beyond what people watch. I want MultiChoice to continue playing a meaningful role in building Nigeria’s creative economy – investing in Nigerian stories, developing talent, creating opportunities and helping our content travel further across Africa and the world.
If we look back ten years from now, I would like our legacy to be that we entertained millions of Nigerians but also helped build an industry: one that created jobs, developed world-class talent and took Nigerian stories to the world. That, for me, would be a legacy worth leaving.