Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has reserved judgment for May 8 in the legal battle between MultiChoice Nigeria and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) over the recent hike in subscription fees for DStv and GOtv services.

Justice James Omotosho fixed the date after taking arguments from both parties on whether the FCCPC had the authority to regulate MultiChoice’s pricing decisions.

According to MultiChoice’s legal team, led by a senior advocate, N.J. Onigbanjo, Nigeria operates a free-market economy where service providers are not required to seek regulatory approval before adjusting prices, arguing that the FCCPC Act does not empower the commission to regulate prices.

In defence, FCCPC’s counsel, Prof J.E. Agbugu, SAN, maintained that the commission acted within its statutory mandate to protect Nigerian consumers from exploitative pricing.

He referenced Sections 17(e) and 17(f) of the FCCPC Act, which empowered the commission to investigate price increases and safeguard consumers from unfair business practices.

Agbugu argued that while the commission did not fix prices, it had the legal authority to scrutinise price hikes to determine if they were exploitative. He dismissed MultiChoice’s reliance on a previous ruling by the Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal (CCPT), stating that the tribunal is not superior to the Federal High Court and cannot set a binding precedent. After listening to both sides, the court reserved judgment until May 8, 2025.