Broadcasting
What you need to know about navigating contract challenges in 2024
By Kehinde Ogundare, Country Manager, Zoho Nigeria
There is absolutely no doubt that collaboration is crucial to business success in today’s world. That obviously applies to work done within organisations. However, effective collaboration between different organisations can be incredibly beneficial, too. In fact, some of the biggest brands in the world have seen significant marketing and revenue boosts through innovative collaborations with other brands.
One thing that’s common across successful collaborations is a detailed, watertight contract. Such contracts not only ensure both parties understand and stick to their particular roles, but also play an important role from a legal and regulatory compliance perspective. Thanks to last year’s passing of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023—which aims to protect the personal data of individuals and organisations—the latter now becomes ever more critical.
With that in mind, how can Nigerian businesses build effective collaborations in 2024 while navigating contracting challenges? Furthermore, how can they do so in a way that ensures they’re fully compliant with the law and regulators?
The benefits of brand collaboration
A 2021 study found 71% of consumers enjoy co-branding partnerships. There are also significant marketing and awareness benefits to successful collaborations. One study, for example, found brand collaborations can be up to 25 times less expensive than a dedicated digital advertising campaign. Brand collaborations can also be incredibly useful in helping brands attract new customers, generate publicity, and enter new markets. They are, in other words, something businesses of all sizes can benefit from and should explore in 2024.
Dotting the “I’s” and crossing the “T’s”
As with any relationship, however, things can go wrong if both parties aren’t absolutely clear on their roles and responsibilities, which is what makes contracting so important. In some cases, contract negotiations can take a long time and get expensive if the two companies involved rely on outside legal counsel to finalise the agreement.
Fortunately, with the right technology in place, the entire process can be a lot simpler and streamlined. Of course, not all contracting software are created equal. Ideally, businesses should look to use contracting software that streamlines the contracting process from authoring and approvals to negotiations, execution, and post-execution management.
Good contracting software can also help an organisation create risk-proof contracts, using templates that cover everything from non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to master service agreements (MSAs). This additionally helps ensure there is consistency across all contracts. If that contracting software fits into a well-designed productivity suite, its data can also feed into the overview that allows organisations to check on things such as milestones, clauses, obligations, counterparties, performance, and other general contract attributes.
Regulatory wrangles
Another essential attribute to look for in contracting software is whether they help organisations comply with all the laws and regulations in any geography they operate in. After all, if the clauses contained within a contract don’t meet legal and regulator compliance, it’s effectively worthless. There are further compliance dangers if there isn’t an accurate view of all versions of a contract or if roles and permissions aren’t clearly defined.
In Nigeria, that kind of compliance is only going to become more important. With the passing of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 in June last year, organisations will have to do everything in their power to protect consumers’ and other businesses’ information. Having oversight and control of the entire contracting process makes that much simpler.
Good contracts benefit everyone
Ultimately, for Nigerian businesses to see the full benefit of collaborations, they must ensure their contracting is watertight and fully compliant. For that to happen, they must choose the right contracting software.
Metro Digital Limited, a licenced Indigenous broadcasting organisation, has accused Multichoice, pay television company, of refusing to obey judgements emanating from Courts in Nigeria.
It said the latest of such judgements is the one that was delivered by Justice Chinelo Odili of Rivers State High Court on May 4, 2026 in Suit No. PHC/3943/FHR/2025.
Dr. Paul Osuji, operations manager of Metro Digital, at a press conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State,
said the suit was filed by the organisation and two others against Multichoice and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Osuji stated that Justice Odili has in the judgement described the arrest of a staff member of the company and the carting away of it’s properties and disruption of it’s broadcasting business by the EFCC over a civil dispute of copyrighy as unlawful and violations of the applicants’ rights.
The manager recalled that in October 2025, Multichoice instigated the EFCC to read their office in Port Harcourt, arrested a staff of the company and staff of another company, while the suit was still pending.
“On October 16, 2025, the premises of Metro Digital Limited, a licenced indigenous broadcasting organisation was raided by the Nigerian anti-graft agency, EFCC, instigated by Multichoice Nigeria, purportedly acting on a preservation order made by the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt over the sub licensing of broadcasting content right.
“The preservation order came from a civil dispute already adjudicated by the Court of Appeal No. CA/CS/188/2021 – Multichoice Vs Metro Digital Limited and 20 others, which is a subject of a pending appeal -No. SC/CV/1248/2022 -Multichoice and 20 others before the Supreme Court.
“Instructively, while suit No. PHC/ 3943/ FHR/2025 was still pending, Metro Digital Limited filed an application to set aside the said preservation orders of the Federal High Court sitting in Port Harcourt and presided over by Hon. Justice A.T Mohammed.
“In his ruling delivered on December 10, 2025, set aside the preservation orders and it’s legal execution on Metro Digital Limited. The court also ordered EFCC to return unconditionally all the properties and records of Metro Digital Limited, illegally and unlawfully carted away during the raid but the agency has till today not obeyed those orders of the Court,” he said.
Metro Digital Limited is known for operating SLTV, a direct-to-home satellite television service launched to provide affordable, locally-owned alternatives to international pay TV
A Federal High Court in Lagos has restrained the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) from sanctioning or punishing broadcast stations and presenters over the expression of personal opinions, alleged bullying of guests, or failure to maintain neutrality on air.
NBC
Justice Daniel Osiagor granted the interim injunction following an ex parte application filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).
The court specifically restrained the NBC, its officers, agents and affiliated persons from enforcing its recently issued “Formal Notice” or imposing sanctions, fines or penalties on broadcasters based on provisions of the 6th Edition of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.
SERAP and NGE had approached the court to challenge what they described as an arbitrary and unlawful move by the commission to punish broadcasters for allegedly expressing personal opinions as facts, bullying or intimidating guests, or failing to maintain neutrality during programmes.
The groups also asked the court to determine whether the provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code relied upon by NBC were inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution, as amended, and Nigeria’s international human rights obligations.
The suit followed an April statement by the NBC in which it raised concerns over what it described as increasing violations of the broadcasting code across news, current affairs and political programmes.
The commission had warned that presenters who expressed personal opinions as facts or bullied guests during live broadcasts would be sanctioned.
However, Justice Osiagor, in his ruling, held that pending the hearing of the substantive matter, the commission must refrain from using the formal notice to threaten, sanction or punish broadcast organisations and on-air personalities under the contested code provisions.
The matter was adjourned until June 1, 2026, for hearing of the motion on notice.
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arraigned Metro Digital Limited before a Federal High Court in Port Harcourt over alleged cybercrime and unlawful interception and rebroadcast of content belonging to Multichoice Nigeria.
Metro Digital
The company was arraigned before Justice A.T. Mohammed on an amended four-count charge bordering on cybercrime-related offences and alleged illegal rebroadcast of protected broadcast content.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday by EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Dele Oyewale, the prosecution counsel, Steve E. Odiase, informed the court that the matter was scheduled for arraignment.
However, defence counsel, S.A. Somairi (SAN), reportedly attempted to halt the proceedings by drawing the court’s attention to a pending preliminary objection.
The judge, however, declined the request and ordered that the plea be taken in line with Section 478 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015, which allows a corporation to enter a plea in writing through its representative.
One of the charges alleged that Metro Digital Limited, alongside its Managing Director, Ifeanyi John Nwafor, and a staff member, Ikenna Kanu, both said to be at large, conspired between 2015 and 2019 to unlawfully intercept and rebroadcast protected broadcast signals in Port Harcourt, Rivers.
Another charge alleged that the defendants intentionally and without authorisation intercepted and rebroadcast broadcast signals and devices, including tiger boxes and dongles, over which Multichoice Nigeria holds exclusive rights in Sub-Saharan Africa.
The anti-graft agency said investigations into the matter began in 2019 after Multichoice petitioned the commission, alleging that the illegal rebroadcast of its content caused significant financial losses.
Metro Digital Limited, through its representative, pleaded not guilty to all four charges.
Following the plea, prosecution counsel prayed the court to fix a date for trial.
Justice Mohammed subsequently adjourned the case until June 29 and June 30, 2026, for continuation of trial.
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