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Claim: TV presenter Captain Smart claims Nigeria has withdrawn the operating licenses of MTN and DStv.
Verdict: False. There is no evidence that the Nigerian government has withdrawn or revoked the operating licenses of MTN Nigeria or DStv operator MultiChoice Nigeria. The claim originated from comments made by Senator Adams Oshiomhole during a parliamentary debate, where he proposed retaliatory measures against South African companies over xenophobic attacks. However, the proposal was not adopted as government policy, and Nigerian authorities have issued no official directive revoking the licenses of either company.
Full Text
Posts circulating on social media claim that Nigeria has withdrawn the licenses of telecommunications giant MTN and pay-TV provider DStv. TV presenter Captain Smart made the claim during his programme on Onua TV and has since been shared on X by user @blockholder, where it has attracted more than 35,000 views. On Facebook, user Opemsour GH has also published the claim. His post has garnered over 100,000 views.
In the video, Captain Smart states:
“What has South Africa done for Ghana? Tell the South African ambassador in Ghana that we will also sack their nationals. The youth of this country should get ready. Nigeria says they have withdrawn the license of MTN and DStv.”
The claim has attracted over 47,000 views with other engagements. It emerged amid renewed outrage over xenophobic attacks in South Africa, which prompted the Ghanaian government to evacuate some of its citizens. The attacks have also triggered calls across parts of Africa for sanctions against South Africa and South African-owned businesses.
But has Nigeria officially withdrawn the operating licenses of MTN and DStv? DUBAWA investigated the claim because of its potential to mislead the public.
Verification
DUBAWA found that the claim gained traction following comments made by Nigerian Senator Adams Oshiomhole, who represents Edo North, during a parliamentary discussion on xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
During proceedings at the Nigerian Senate, Oshiomhole called on the National Assembly to consider retaliatory economic measures against South African companies operating in Nigeria. He specifically proposed revoking the licenses of MTN and DStv.
The senator argued that Nigeria should move beyond diplomacy and respond firmly to the continued attacks on Nigerians in South Africa.
“It is time to reciprocate. This Senate should adopt a position that MTN, a South African company that is carting away millions of dollars from Nigerians every day, should be nationalised and withdraw its license… The second is that we ask the minister of communication or the federal government to revoke the DStv, which is also a South African company,” he said.
The remarks can be found from the 27-minute mark of the parliamentary proceedings published on YouTube by the Nigerian National Assembly.
However, the comments were merely a proposal by a lawmaker and did not constitute official government action.
In response, Senate President Godswill Akpabio rejected calls for immediate punitive measures against South African businesses. He said the National Assembly preferred diplomatic engagement rather than license revocations.
“I have seen some of the videos on the issues happening in South Africa. It is very horrific that I can’t recount them here. But we should not yet take the action of recommending the withdrawal of licenses for South African companies. We should pursue diplomatic solutions,” he said.
This can be found from the 29-minute mark of the parliamentary proceedings.
Further checks found no official statement from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the Federal Government of Nigeria, or any regulatory authority announcing the revocation of MTN or DStv licenses.
Both MTN Nigeria and MultiChoice Nigeria continue to operate in the country.
Conclusion
The claim that Nigeria has withdrawn the operating licenses of MTN and DStv is false. What occurred was a proposal by a Nigerian senator calling for retaliatory action against South African businesses over xenophobic attacks. No official revocation has been announced, and both companies continue to operate in Nigeria.
