MultiChoice Nigeria has appointed Kemi Omotosho as its new chief executive officer, handing her the reins of the country’s largest pay-TV operator at a time of deepening revenue pressures, subscriber losses and intensifying competition in the media and entertainment market.

The company said Omotosho’s appointment takes effect from January 2026, following the retirement of John Ugbe, who is stepping down after nearly 15 years in various leadership roles at MultiChoice Nigeria. The transition, according to the company, is part of a structured succession process designed to ensure operational continuity and stability.

Omotosho assumes office as MultiChoice Nigeria grapples with one of the most challenging periods in its history. The pay-TV operator has been hit by Nigeria’s worsening macroeconomic conditions, high inflation and declining consumer spending, factors that have driven a steady erosion of its subscriber base and revenues.

In its financial results for the year ended March 31, 2025, MultiChoice Group reported that active subscribers fell by 1.2 million to 14.5 million across its operations. Nigeria accounted for 77 percent of the subscribers lost in the group’s Rest of Africa segment, underlining the scale of the pressure in its biggest market outside South Africa.

Between April and September 2024 alone, MultiChoice lost 243,000 subscribers in Nigeria as households cut back on discretionary spending and increasingly turned to cheaper or alternative entertainment options.

The revenue impact has been severe. MultiChoice Nigeria’s subscription revenue declined by 44 percent to $197.74 million in the 2025 financial year, down from $355.93 million a year earlier. The company attributed the drop to rising inflation, currency pressures and a deteriorating economic climate that triggered widespread customer exits.

Against this backdrop, Omotosho’s appointment signals both continuity and an urgent need for strategic recalibration. A seasoned executive with more than 20 years’ experience across media, telecommunications and digital businesses in Africa, she joined MultiChoice in 2014 and has held several senior roles, including executive head of customer value management and group executive head of customer value management for the Rest of Africa. She also previously served as regional director for Southern Africa, overseeing operations and strategy across multiple countries.

Reacting to her appointment, Omotosho described the role as a privilege and said she was eager to lead the company in what she called a strategic and dynamic market.

“I look forward to working with our teams and partners to deepen our relationship with consumers, champion local storytelling and the creative economy, as well as build a future-ready organisation that delivers sustainable value,” she said.

As CEO, Omotosho will be responsible for shaping MultiChoice Nigeria’s strategy, overseeing day-to-day operations and managing engagement with regulators, partners and other key stakeholders. Her background in customer growth initiatives and strategic campaigns positions her as a familiar figure within the Pan-African entertainment industry, but the challenges ahead are formidable.

MultiChoice Group is contending with structural shifts in consumer behaviour as viewers migrate toward streaming platforms, demand more flexible pricing and reassess the value of traditional pay-TV bundles. In Nigeria, these pressures have been compounded by regulatory scrutiny and rising operating costs.

In a bid to stem customer losses and rebuild its subscriber base, MultiChoice Nigeria has already begun adjusting its pricing strategy. In November, the company reduced the price of its DStv decoder from N10,000 to N7,900, while cutting the GOtv decoder price to N6,500. The company said the move was aimed at keeping pay-TV entertainment within reach for more Nigerians and reinforcing its commitment to customers.

Whether those measures will be sufficient remains uncertain. Omotosho inherits a business that still commands strong brand recognition and content assets but is under pressure to restore growth in an increasingly price-sensitive and competitive market.

Her tenure will likely be judged on how quickly MultiChoice Nigeria can stabilise its subscriber base, adapt its offerings to changing consumer realities and navigate Nigeria’s volatile economic environment, turning old problems into a credible recovery story. (Business Day)