Dr Charles Ebuebu, the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), says Nigeria has so far achieved digital transmission coverage in only eight cities, with signals in many cases not extending across entire states.
Ebuebu stated this on Monday at a joint press conference on Nigeria’s Digital Switchover (DSO) project, organised by NBC in partnership with the Nigerian Communications Satellite Ltd.(NIGCOMSAT) in Abuja
The DSO project, managed by the NBC, is Nigeria’s nationwide transition from analogue to digital terrestrial television broadcasting.
The project aims to improve broadcast quality, boost the digital economy, and free up spectrum for broadband.
The NBC boss said the commission undertook a comprehensive review of the DSO programme after assessing the limited progress recorded since its introduction.
He attributed the slow progress to several challenges, including irregular funding, lack of consensus among stakeholders, litigation and the absence of a clear funding timeline.
The NBC boss described the issues as systemic, adding that the commission was compelled to return to the drawing board to develop a more realistic and sustainable implementation framework.
He said NBC consulted local and international experts, as well as studied both successful and unsuccessful DSO models in countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa and Kenya before arriving at what it termed “the big picture”.
According to him, the redefined plan is designed to address past failures and create a sustainable digital broadcasting ecosystem in Nigeria.
Ebuebu acknowledged that the initiative had generated objections and misconceptions among some stakeholders, including allegations that NBC was assuming the role of a platform operator.
He, however, clarified that the NBC Act empowered the commission to initiate and harmonise projects aimed at improving content distribution across the country.
According to him, the commission is only exercising its discretionary powers to establish a neutral digital marketplace that will give Nigerian broadcasters and content creators nationwide visibility.
The D-G said the proposed platform would address several challenges facing free-to-air television stations, including declining revenues and inability to invest in quality content production.
He noted that many broadcasters were currently surviving by selling airtime instead of focusing on content development, which he described as the core objective of broadcasting.
Ebuebu explained that the commission had mapped out an 18-month implementation period to stabilise the platform and develop a framework capable of preventing future failures of the DSO project.
He stressed that NBC was not involved in advertising, content production or commercial operations, insisting that the commission’s role remained strictly regulatory and facilitative.
The NBC boss also addressed ongoing litigation involving the commission and set-top box manufacturers, saying the matter was already before the court.
He said NBC respected the judicial process and would not make comments capable of prejudicing the case.
According to him, the litigation had affected constructive engagement on decoder supply and manufacturing, forcing the commission to rely on decoders already available in homes and in the market.
Ebuebu denied allegations that NBC had entered into exclusive commercial arrangements with any pay-TV operator, describing such claims as false.
He said delaying DSO process further would continue to deprive Nigeria of the economic and technological benefits associated with digital broadcasting and spectrum utilisation.
The D-G noted that the commission had continued engaging stakeholders, including the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) by presenting its plans at the organisation’s General Assembly.
He stressed that NBC could not achieve the digital transition alone, adding that the success of the project depended on collaboration among broadcasters, content creators, manufacturers and other industry players.
Ebuebu called on all stakeholders to support and actively participate in the implementation process, saying the DSO project would create significant opportunities for Nigeria’s broadcasting and creative industries.
