MultiChoice Nigeria, now a Canal+ company, has formally announced a significant transition in its executive leadership. Following a distinguished fifteen-year tenure, the incumbent Chief Executive Officer, Mr John Ugbe, is set to retire, with Ms Kemi Omotosho appointed as his successor, effective this January.
The transition comes in the wake of the landmark acquisition of the MultiChoice Group by the French media titan Canal+ in late 2025. Since the takeover, the Group has been undergoing a strategic restructuring of its leadership across various jurisdictions to ensure long-term growth and administrative synergy.
Mr Ugbe’s departure marks the end of a transformative era for the broadcaster. Having spent nearly a decade and a half at the helm, he is credited with steering the organisation through some of the most turbulent shifts in the Nigerian media landscape. His leadership oversaw the transition from traditional broadcasting to digital resilience, fortifying the company’s operational foundations against evolving market demands.
Ms Kemi Omotosho assumes the role of Chief Executive Officer with a formidable professional pedigree, boasting over 20 years of leadership experience across the telecommunications, digital, and media sectors in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Her ascent within the MultiChoice Group has been marked by a series of high-impact senior roles, including:
- Executive Head of Customer Value Management (CVM), Nigeria.
- Group Executive Head of CVM for the Rest of Africa, where she provided functional leadership across more than 50 markets.
- Regional Director for Southern Africa, a role in which she held full profit and loss (P&L) responsibility for a portfolio spanning seven countries.
The Board has expressed total confidence in her “proven record of leading complex organisations” and her ability to drive disciplined growth through high-performing teams.
Speaking on her appointment, Ms Omotosho underscored the vital importance of the Nigerian market to the Group’s broader continental strategy.
“It is a privilege to be entrusted with the leadership of MultiChoice Nigeria at this important moment,” Ms Omotosho remarked. “I look forward to working with our teams and partners to deepen our relationship with consumers, champion local storytelling and the creative economy, and build a future-ready organisation that delivers sustainable value.”
MultiChoice Nigeria has emphasised that this succession is the result of a “structured and orderly transition.” By elevating an internal veteran with deep institutional knowledge, the company aims to ensure seamless continuity for subscribers, stakeholders, and the creative industry at large.
As the company enters this new chapter under the Canal+ umbrella, the focus remains firmly on maintaining its market-leading position while adapting to the digital future of African entertainment.
