MultiChoice Nigeria, a Canal+ company, has announced a major leadership transition, with Chief Executive Officer John Ugbe retiring after nearly fifteen years at the helm and Kemi Omotosho stepping in as the new CEO effective January 2026.
Okay News reports that Ugbe’s tenure was marked by steering the business through significant industry shifts, market challenges, and operational transformations, laying strong foundations for long-term resilience and growth.
Omotosho brings over 20 years of senior leadership experience across media, telecommunications, and digital businesses in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa.
Within the MultiChoice Group, she has held key roles including Executive Head of Customer Value Management in Nigeria, Group Executive Head of Customer Value Management for Rest of Africa (spanning more than 50 markets), and most recently, Regional Director for Southern Africa with full profit-and-loss responsibility for a seven-country portfolio.
Her track record includes leading complex organisations, driving disciplined growth, building high-performing teams, and delivering strategic results in dynamic markets.
As CEO, Omotosho will oversee MultiChoice Nigeria’s overall strategy, operations, stakeholder engagement, and continued expansion, building on the strong platform established under Ugbe’s leadership.
In her first remarks following the appointment, Omotosho expressed deep honour at the opportunity, describing Nigeria as one of the Group’s most strategic and dynamic markets.
She pledged to work closely with teams and partners to deepen consumer relationships, champion local storytelling and the creative economy, and build a future-ready organisation focused on sustainable value creation.
The company described Ugbe’s retirement and Omotosho’s appointment as part of a structured, orderly transition plan designed to ensure continuity, stability, and seamless leadership handover.
The leadership change reflects MultiChoice Nigeria’s commitment to evolving its operations and market positioning amid changing consumer preferences, digital growth, and competitive pressures in the pay-TV and entertainment landscape.
