Federal Govt To Launch Digital Switchover Nationwide 17 June – Minister

The Federal Government has announced that Nigeria’s long-awaited Digital Switchover (DSO) programme will be officially inaugurated on 17 June, marking a major milestone in the country’s transition from analogue to digital broadcasting.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja after touring facilities connected to the project, describing the development as a major reform within the nation’s broadcast industry.

According to the minister, Nigeria’s migration from analogue to digital transmission would bring significant benefits to broadcasters, advertisers, and television viewers nationwide.

“For many years, Nigerians have been grappling with the idea of the Digital Switchover. Now, this has happened and is ready to be commissioned on 17 June this year,” Idris said.

He explained that several television channels had already been unbundled on the platform, allowing viewers access to more content while enabling advertisers to make informed decisions through audience measurement technology.

“Science is now at play. If you are viewing any particular station, you know who is viewing what and how many people are watching. The standard measurement that was absent in previous experiments is now available,” he stated.

The minister noted that the platform would help advertisers identify target audiences across different demographics, improving advertising efficiency and boosting revenue opportunities for broadcasters.

Idris attributed the initiative’s success to collaboration among the Nigerian Communications Satellite (NIGCOMSAT), the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the Ministry of Communications, and the Ministry of Information and National Orientation.

He also commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for providing the resources needed to actualise the project.

“It has been a shame in the past that Nigeria could not achieve this, but now the digital switchover is here. Everybody can now watch whatever they want in real time through free television services,” he added.

Responding to questions on whether the new platform was intended to replace pay television providers such as DStv, Idris said the initiative was designed to expand access and increase competition within the broadcasting sector.

“I don’t always want to use the word substitute, but it is offering opportunities to get what people could not access before. The monopoly has now been broken, and competition is going to set in,” he said.

According to him, increased competition would stimulate content growth, expand viewership, and create more economic opportunities for advertisers and broadcasters.

The minister further revealed that the platform currently operates in Standard Definition (SD) but will soon transition to High Definition (HD), offering picture quality comparable to international standards.

He added that viewers would also be able to access the service through mobile applications and satellite coverage across Sub-Saharan Africa, wherever NIGCOMSAT services are available.

Speaking on lessons from previous DSO attempts, Idris said the current administration had addressed challenges associated with encrypted set-top boxes and high subscription costs.

“In the past, the boxes provided were encrypted and expensive. Now, this is free. Government has already taken off some of these costs on behalf of Nigerians,” he explained.

He also noted that, unlike earlier pilot schemes limited to about eight cities, the new rollout would have wider coverage across Nigeria and beyond through satellite technology.

The minister described the project as “very encouraging” after inspecting the satellite infrastructure supporting the initiative, assuring Nigerians that the government would continue improving the service.

Also speaking, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (MD/CEO) of NIGCOMSAT, Jane Egerton-Idehen, described the development as a breakthrough for the country’s broadcasting industry, noting that the new system would provide Nigerians with free-to-air television services with improved accessibility and quality.

She also highlighted the collaboration among NIGCOMSAT, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the Ministry of Communications, and the Ministry of Information and National Orientation to drive the initiative.

Egerton-Idehen commended President Bola Tinubu for providing the necessary support and resources to ensure the successful nationwide rollout of the DSO project.

She further disclosed that the platform would move from Standard Definition (SD) to High Definition (HD), with future upgrades already being planned.

She said competition among broadcasters was also expected to increase as more channels and content providers joined the platform, creating greater opportunities for local content development and for generating advertising revenue.

According to her, the service would not be limited to a few cities, as was the case during earlier pilot phases of the DSO project. Instead, satellite technology and mobile applications would ensure wider coverage across Nigeria and parts of Sub-Saharan Africa.

She also announced plans to increase the number of available channels to 100 by launch, while additional content producers were already in discussions to join the platform.