Nigeria targets 2022 to complete digital switch over

• NBC uses N9.4 bn to settle outstanding agreements on DSO projects.

 The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has revealed that Nigeria will complete its Digital Switch Over (DSO) project by the middle of 2022.

Prof. Armstrong Idachaba, the Acting Director-General of the Commission, made the revelation in Abuja, stated that Nigeria will then fully transit from analogue to digital terrestrial broadcasting.

Idachaba, said, “With the commitment of N9.4 billion by the Federal Government and the setting up of the Ministerial Task Force by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed there will be accelerated activities toward the delivery of the project.”

He said that with the launch of the pilot programme in Jos, Plateau in 2016, followed by Abuja and subsequently Kwara; Kaduna; Enugu; and lastly Osogbo, in February 2018, the launch had now resumed in big cities.

“We are going to Lagos very soon and before the third quarter of this year; we would have covered, at least, five more states.

“The signal distributors are ready and, as we speak, they are setting up their infrastructure in Lagos; Port-Harcourt; and Kano, preparatory to the rollout.

“The box manufacturers are also working to ensure the availability of boxes needed.

“There is a big ambition to achieve this national assignment; and the good news is that all the component players within the ecology are ready to go.

“By the plans we have, by the middle of 2022, we would have completed the digital switchover in Nigeria,’’ he said.

He applauded the Minister for his vision in the implementation of the DSO project; stressing that the Task Force he set up was all-encompassing.

“We have as part of the members, a representative of the Minister of Finance.

“I must put on record the huge support we have enjoyed from the minister; in trying to push through the idea of making available the fund approved for the rollout.

“If I get the body language well, I think there are obvious signs that money will be released on time; and the usual bottlenecks will not happen this time,’’ he said.

He said they had done a retrospective analysis of what had been done over time and identified the gaps and expressed the confidence that they would have a faster and seamless rollout across states; having resolved all disputes that could lead to legal cog.

In a related development, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has said that it used the N9.4 billion approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) to settle outstanding contractual agreements in the Digital Switch Over (DSO) project.

Armstrong Idachaba, acting director-general of the Commission, who stated this in Abuja said that the fund was not all that was needed to complete the Digital Switch Over (DSO) project.

Idachaba said the federal government had, however, taken the decision that going forward, it would stop contributing its lean resources to fund the DSO.

The DSO is the process of migrating from analogue to digital terrestrial broadcasting and NBC has set 2022 for the completion of the project in Nigeria.

The NBC boss said the project would be self-sustaining and the government expected that the players and investors in the sector must be able to drive their own obligation financially.

“We hope that the broadcasters, those who own the channels will now pay the people who are carrying their signals.

“The signal distributors will evolve ways to pay those providing satellite services while the government will be absolved of any financial obligations,’’ he said.

He said the N9.4 billion was money approved for contractual engagements in settling people that were engaged to deliver certain services.

“There is a company that is handling satellite services and we have been owing them some money and they are going to get the chunk of the money.

“In the transition process, there is a period called Dual-Illumination when you set side by side analogue contents and the digital contents.

“In the six cities where we are now, we have dual illumination because there are people with the Set Top Boxes who are watching digital contents while those without the boxes still have access to contents in the analogue,’’ he said

Idachaba added: “The question is that for people who are carrying digital signals at the time we have dual illumination, who pays?

“You will not subject the broadcasters to double taxation by servicing the digital transmission and at the same time the analogue transmission.

“The government therefore said that anywhere you are on the digital platform, the government bears the cost and in the process we got indebted to the signal distributors who are sending the signals.

“We also got indebted to those who are providing satellite services and the software managers all of the debts or obligation that amounted to 9.4 billion.’’

He said the fact that the project would be private sector driven has not absolved the NBC, as driver of the process, from certain responsibilities.

He said in the course of the migration, the Commission would have to find ways to take out of its meagre resources to fund some of the elements of the transition.

The NBC boss gave credit to  Alhaji Lai Mohammed, minister of Information and Culture for his vision in the implementation process.

Specifically, he said the Ministerial Task Force set up by the minister to drive the process was all encompassing of all relevant stakeholders including the Finance Ministry that will make the approved fund available.

Idachaba faulted the claim in certain quarters that the ministerial task force had usurped the power of Digiteam, a body set up by a former President to oversee the DSO.

“The government white paper on digital transition clearly stated that at every stage and level of the transition, both the NBC, Digiteam must offer periodic reports to the minister.

“What this means is that the minister sits on top of the architecture of the entire transition.

“Although the Digiteam is made up of experts and seasoned gentlemen but there is a limit to which they can go in terms of exercising political will in government.

“Obviously the cabinet minister has more advantage in that area than somebody who is just a mere appointee.

“The NBC is a professionally run agency and we have our jobs cut off for us in monitoring contents and ensuring that the rules are adhered to,’’ he said.