Multichoice Limited has proceeded to increase packages price for DStv and GOtv as announce on Wednesday last week.

This is despite the order by Competition and Consumer Protection Tribunal (CCPT) sitting in Abuja, restraining the pay tv company from increasing its tariffs and cost of products and services.

Recall that on April 24, the company announced that it would increase its price for its DStv and GOtv cable services, beginning from on May 1.

But CCPT in Abuja ruled that the firm should not increase its prices as scheduled.

The three-member tribunal, presided over by Saratu Shafii, gave the interim order on Monday following an ex-parte motion moved by Ejiro Awaritoma, counsel for Festus Onifade, the applicant.

In a ruling, the tribunal restrained multi-choice from going ahead with the impending price increase schedule to take effect from May 1, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice filed before it.

It also directed all parties in the suit to appear before the tribunal on May 7 at 10 a.m. for the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

The petitioner had dragged Multichoice Nigeria Ltd and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) before the tribunal.

In the suit filed on April 29, Onifade, also a legal practitioner, sought two orders.

These include, “an order of interim injunction of this honourable tribunal restraining the 1st defendant whether by themselves, her privies, assigns by whatsoever name called from going ahead with impending price increase schedule to take effect from 1st May 2024, pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.

“An order restraining the 1st defendant from taking any step(s) that may negatively affect the rights of the claimant and other consumers in respect of the suit pending the hearing and determination of the motion on notice.”

The company had, on April 1, 2022, hiked the prices of all its packages..

Despite the court ruling, a check by this medium revealed that the South African firm has gone ahead with the tariff increase as earlier proposed.

On its official website, the new prices are now being displayed and implemented.

For DStv Premium subscribers, the price has moved from N29,500 to N37,000. Also, the price for

Compact rate has moved from N12,500 to 15,700 while Confam and Yanga subscribers will now pay N9,300 and N5,100 respectively from their previous rates of N7,400 and N4,200.

Similarly, GOtv subscribers will pay the new tariff increase as the prices have also changed on their official websites.

The elite subscribers (Supa+ and Supa) will now pay N15,700 and N9,600 respectively as against the previous rates of N12,500 and N7,600 before.

In addition, the Max and Jolli subscribers are now expected to pay N7,200 and N4,850 respectively. The former rates were N5,700 and N3,950.

However, on average, Multichoice increased the prices by 25%.

The VaxSocial Initiative, spearheaded by Global Impact in collaboration with the African Health Organisation (AHO) and Gavi, has announced the selection of seven organizations to receive funding totalling  $12 million.

This initiative, focused on harnessing the power of social media to bolster vaccine confidence, marks a significant step forward in combating vaccine hesitancy and promoting public health awareness.

The selected organizations from India, Indonesia, and Nigeria were carefully chosen to explore innovative approaches that leverage social media and behavioral science to empower populations to make informed decisions regarding vaccination.

Among the esteemed recipients from Nigeria are as follows:

Nivi and Save the Children,

HelpMum and Behavioral Insights Team, and

Upswell in collaboration with the Behavioral Insights Lab, Silver Lining for the Needy Initiative, and WellaHealth.

The other four recipients include:

GroupM Media India PVT. LTD. (India)

Center for Indonesia’s Strategic Development Initiatives (Indonesia)

Global Health Strategies Emerging Economies PVT. LTD. (Indonesia), and

IPSOS and M&C Saatchi World Services (Evaluator)

This initiative comes at a critical juncture as Nigeria, like many countries globally, grapples with vaccine hesitancy and misinformation. By leveraging the vast reach and influence of social media platforms, these organizations aim to educate and empower communities, particularly in rural and underserved areas, to overcome barriers to vaccination.

Drew Otoo, president of Global Vaccines at MSD, expressed enthusiasm for the initiative’s next phase, highlighting the potential of social media platforms in shaping healthcare decisions. Lu’chen Foster, Senior Director of Social Impact Partnerships at Meta, reiterated Meta’s commitment to supporting global health outcomes through innovative approaches.

Augustin Flory, managing director at Gavi, emphasized the importance of partnerships with the private sector and technology in driving impactful interventions in immunization programs.

The VaxSocial Initiative represents a collaborative effort to bridge the gap between research and implementation, paving the way for evidence-based strategies to enhance vaccine confidence and uptake.

With Nigeria actively participating in this initiative, there is hope for a brighter future where vaccination is embraced as a crucial component of public health, safeguarding communities against preventable diseases.

As these projects unfold, they have the potential to serve as models for scalable and replicable approaches to vaccine advocacy, not only in Nigeria but across the globe.

Through collective efforts and strategic partnerships, we can build a healthier and more resilient world, where every individual has access to life-saving vaccines and the knowledge to make informed healthcare decisions.

Commercial banks in Nigeria closed 2.021 million bank accounts in the first quarter of 2024, Q1’24, to clean their books of questionable accounts and comply with regulatory orders on the linkage of bank accounts to the National Identity Number (NIN).

This is contained in a report by the Nigerian Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS), which also indicated that the number of inactive bank accounts grew month-on-month, MoM, by four million or 2.0 per cent to 19.7 million in March 2024 from 19.3 million in the previous month, February.

A bank account is classified inactive when it records zero transactions including deposits, withdrawals, transfers or point-of-sale transactions for six months.

However, details of the “Industry Bank Account Database”, a monthly data reported by banks, and compiled by the Nigerian Interbank Settlement System, NIBSS, also indicated that the number of active bank accounts grew by 6.62 million or 3.0 per cent to 219.64 million from 213.02 million in February.

Recall that in December 2023, the CBN issued a directive to all commercial banks in the country to restrict tier-1 accounts without proper Biometric Verification Number (BVN), and National Identity Number, NIN, that are not linked by Thursday, March 1st, 2024.

According to NIBSS data on BVN enrollment count, 61.6 million Nigerians have BVN as of April 2024.

Credit: Vanguard