Federal Gov’t To Launch Digital TV, Offers Households Free Access To 100 Channels

The Federal Government has announced plans to launch FreeTV, a national digital television platform that will provide Nigerians with free access to more than 100 television channels without monthly subscription fees.

The initiative, scheduled for this Wednesday, June 17, 2026, was part of Nigeria’s Digital Switch-Over (DSO) programme and is aimed at expanding access to digital broadcasting while supporting President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

According to a statement posted on the verified X handle of the Presidency on Wednesday, the platform was designed to ensure that every Nigerian benefits from the country’s transition from analogue to digital television, regardless of location or income level.

The government said FreeTV will offer households access to over 100 national, regional and state channels featuring news, sports, movies, music, children’s programmes, educational content, and dedicated Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo language channels.

The service will be available through satellite, terrestrial transmission and the FreeTV mobile application, allowing users in major cities, rural communities and areas previously excluded from the DSO pilot phases to access digital television services.

The statement noted that Nigerians would not be required to purchase new television sets to use the platform. Existing televisions will function with compatible DVB-T2 or DVB-S2 decoders, while households that already own compatible free-to-air decoders may not need to acquire new equipment.

Speaking ahead of the launch, the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Charles Ebuebu, described the initiative as a major step toward expanding digital inclusion across the country.

“FreeTV speaks directly to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of Renewed Hope towards expanding access, creating opportunity and ensuring that every Nigerian, regardless of location or income, can benefit from the digital economy. With FreeTV, families across Nigeria can enjoy quality digital television without a monthly subscription, while our local content producers, technicians and young creatives gain new platforms and new jobs,” Ebuebu said.

Beyond improving access to television services, the government said the platform is expected to stimulate growth in Nigeria’s creative and broadcast industry through the establishment of regional production studios in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kano and Benin City.

The studios are expected to create employment opportunities for content producers, technicians, editors, camera operators, sound engineers and other young creative professionals.

The Federal Government also reaffirmed that the country’s final analogue television switch-off remained scheduled for December 31, 2028, urging Nigerians to begin preparations by checking the compatibility of their decoders and downloading the FreeTV mobile application.