Cybersecurity Policy Report, Nigeria Fines Media Company Over Privacy Violations, (Jul 7, 2025)

By Tony Foley

The Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC) announced on LinkedIn that it had fined media company Multichoice Nigeria 766.2 million naira ($500,600) for multiple violations of Nigerian data protection law.

According to the NDPC post, it began an investigation in the second quarter of 2024 into Multichoice triggered by a suspected breach of privacy rights of its subscribers. The investigation found, among other things, that Multichoice violated the privacy rights of both its customers and their acquaintances who were not subscribers. Specifically, the agency found that the depth of the company’s data processing was “patently intrusive, unfair, unnecessary and disproportionate.” The NDPC also concluded that Multichoice carried out illegal cross-border transfers of subscriber data.

In line with its standard remediation procedure, the NDPC directed Multichoice to carry out appropriate remedial measures but concluded that the measures undertaken by the company were unsatisfactory, resulting in the fine. NDPC Commissioner Vincent Olatunji also directed that all outlets through which Multichoice collected personal data should be investigated for noncompliance, with any such outlet found to be in violation of data protection law subject to penalty.

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