MultiChoice Nigeria is expanding its role beyond entertainment by deepening its investment in local talent, content production, technology, infrastructure and businesses across Nigeria’s creative economy, its Chief Executive Officer, Kemi Omotosho, has said.
Omotosho said that after more than three decades in Nigeria, MultiChoice had evolved from a company primarily bringing entertainment into Nigerian homes into a broader ecosystem supporting producers, actors, production crews, dealers, installers and small businesses.
“When people turn on DStv or GOtv, they see the finished product. What they don’t always see is the entire Nigerian ecosystem behind that screen,” she said.
“We are not just distributing content; we are investing in the people, businesses and infrastructure that help Nigeria’s creative economy grow.”
Her comments come as MultiChoice Nigeria operates under a new ownership structure following its integration into CANAL+, the global media and entertainment group headquartered in France and operating across 70 countries, in September 2025.
Omotosho said the new structure gives MultiChoice Nigeria access to greater scale, technology, content and international expertise while retaining its local focus.
“I would describe MultiChoice Nigeria as a deeply Nigerian business with the strength of a global group behind it,” she said.
According to her, the company’s products, content and commercial strategies remain shaped by Nigerian realities, while its local operation retains significant flexibility over products, pricing, distribution, content and customer experience.
“Nigeria is not a market where you can simply take something that works elsewhere and assume it will work here,” she said.
That local orientation is reflected in platforms such as Big Brother Naija and the Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, which showcase Nigerian and African stories, talent and culture to audiences across the continent.
The MultiChoice Talent Factory is also developing young filmmakers and production professionals, providing skills and opportunities to help them build careers and businesses in the creative industry.
Omotosho described local investment as “fundamental” to MultiChoice’s future in Nigeria, saying the company wants to produce content Nigerians will be proud to watch while ensuring Nigerian stories can travel across Africa and the world.
“Nigeria has the talent to be a global creative powerhouse, and we want MultiChoice to play an important role in making that happen,” she said.
She also linked MultiChoice’s fight against piracy to protecting the wider creative economy, noting that piracy affects not only the company but also producers, actors and the many workers whose livelihoods depend on content retaining commercial value.
According to her, MultiChoice is working with the Nigerian Copyright Commission and the Federal Ministry of Art, Culture, Tourism and the Creative Economy to curb piracy and educate the public about its wider consequences.
Omotosho said MultiChoice’s long presence in Nigeria remained an advantage as competition intensified across the entertainment industry, citing its established brands, strong local content, extensive distribution network and relationships with producers, creatives and partners.
However, she acknowledged that longevity alone was insufficient.
“We still have to earn our customers every day by delivering great content, value, affordability and a strong customer experience,” she said.
For Omotosho, MultiChoice’s next phase is about combining the scale of its global ownership with the local knowledge and creative investment that have defined its Nigerian presence.
The ambition, she said, is to remain deeply connected to Nigeria while using the reach of its global group to take Nigerian talent, stories and creative products to wider audiences across Africa and the world.
