Federal Government Fixes December 2028 For Final Analogue TV Switch-Off

The federal government has fixed December 2028 as the deadline for the complete transition from analogue to digital television broadcasting, marking a major milestone in Nigeria’s long-delayed Digital Switch Over (DSO) programme.

The Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Charles Ebuebu, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja, stating that the deadline marks the country’s final analogue switch-off.

According to him, the transition will be implemented in phases, with additional measures to be rolled out before the final deadline.

“We put a timeline for analogue switch-off. Before that time, a lot of things will be put in place. This is just phase one,” Ebuebu said.

He explained that subsequent phases of the DSO programme would focus on paid television services, studio development, and the establishment of designated production centres to support content creators.

Ebuebu also revealed that the commission is making progress on audience measurement, a key component of the digital broadcasting ecosystem.

He said a proof-of-concept exercise had already been completed in about 7,000 households in Lagos, while implementation has commenced in Abuja.

According to the NBC chief, the commission will unveil details of the remaining phases after consultations with key stakeholders, including the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), to ensure industry-wide support for the transition.

Beyond improving broadcasting services, Ebuebu said the analogue switch-off would release valuable radio frequency spectrum, which he described as a critical national asset with enormous economic potential.

He said the spectrum would be professionally evaluated before being allocated to sectors such as telecommunications, digital applications and financial technology companies.

“I won’t put a sum to it, but it is valued at upwards of about 50 billion dollars. Consultants will determine its actual value before allocation,” he said.

On concerns over obsolete broadcasting infrastructure, Ebuebu said the NBC is developing a policy based on expert recommendations and global best practices.

He noted that the Digital Switch Over White Paper mandates broadcasters to separate content production from signal transmission, with transmission services to be provided by licensed signal distributors, including NIGCOMSAT.

The NBC boss added that while some obsolete analogue equipment could be repurposed, the Federal Government would be approached to take over assets that can no longer be used in order to prevent environmental pollution caused by industrial waste.

LEADERSHIP reports that Nigeria began the Digital Switch Over programme to migrate from analogue to digital broadcasting in line with global standards, with the transition expected to improve picture and sound quality, expand broadcasting capacity and create new opportunities in the media and technology sectors.