Gov’t moves to tackle DStv decoder piracy from Nigeria
Samuel George Launches Multi-Agency Fight Against Cross-Border DStv Piracy
Elohim Nyame 
The Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, has announced the establishment of a multi-agency working group to address the persistent issue of cross-border piracy of DStv decoders from Nigeria into Ghana.
Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, 29 September 2025, the Minister disclosed that a stakeholder committee reviewing DStv’s pricing and operations in Ghana had flagged decoder piracy as a critical challenge undermining the sector.
“The committee considered the issue of cross-border piracy of DStv decoders from Nigeria into Ghana, which has for years deprived the state of tax revenue, transferred jobs from Ghana to Nigeria, denied unsuspecting customers good customer service, and is actively working towards the decline of Ghanaian local content creation space,” Mr George said.
The Minister noted that the widespread influx of pirated decoders had not only weakened the local pay-TV industry but also hindered government efforts to support domestic content producers. Customers who purchase such devices, he added, are often cut off from official customer support, leaving them vulnerable when technical issues arise.
To address the menace, the committee recommended the creation of a dedicated task force with representatives drawn from multiple state and private sector bodies. These include the Ministry of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, the National Communications Authority (NCA), the Cyber Security Authority, the Ghana Domain Name Registry, the National IT Agency, the Customs Division of the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), the Ghana Police Service, MultiChoice Africa, and MultiChoice Ghana.
Mr George assured that he would work closely with the heads of these institutions to ensure the working group is formed swiftly and equipped to “comprehensively tackle” the issue.
Industry observers have long called for stronger enforcement against decoder smuggling, which has created an uneven playing field for operators in Ghana. The government’s move is therefore being welcomed as a step towards restoring fairness in the market and protecting Ghana’s creative industry.
