BY PETER USMAN

For alleged violations of the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA), the Federal Government, through the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), has imposed a hefty fine of N766,242,500 on Multichoice Nigeria, the country’s largest pay-TV provider.

The NDPC, in a statement issued on Sunday by its Head of Legal, Enforcement and Regulations, Babatunde Bamigboye, disclosed that the fine followed a comprehensive one-year investigation into the company’s handling of subscriber data.

The investigation, which commenced in the second quarter of 2024, was initiated over alleged breaches of subscribers’ privacy rights and the unlawful transfer of Nigerians’ personal data across borders.

“The Commission found that Multichoice Nigeria flagrantly violated the privacy rights of its subscribers and even non-subscribers whose personal data may have been collected without consent,” the statement said.

It added that the company engaged in cross-border data transfers without following laid-down legal frameworks, describing Multichoice’s data processing activities as “intrusive, unfair, unnecessary, and disproportionate.”

The NDPC described these actions as a “grave affront to the fundamental right to privacy,” as guaranteed under Section 37 of Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution.

“The Commission has a duty under both international and Nigerian laws to defend the nation’s data sovereignty. The scale of Multichoice’s breach has implications for national security, economic stability, and the rule of law,” the statement emphasized.

Although the Commission had earlier directed the pay-TV company to implement remedial actions, it concluded that Multichoice’s response was unsatisfactory and lacked adequate cooperation.

Consequently, the NDPC ordered the company to pay the ₦766 million fine as part of punitive and corrective measures.

In a separate directive, the NDPC’s National Commissioner, Dr Vincent Olatunji, instructed that all Multichoice outlets involved in collecting Nigerians’ personal data be subjected to compliance audits.

He warned that any outlet found violating the NDPA would face legal sanctions.

This latest enforcement moves underscores the Federal Government’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s data protection ecosystem and holding corporate entities accountable for privacy infractions.