Arkwright Offers British Expertise to Nigeria on DSO Transition

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

The British High Commission to Nigeria, Paul Arkwright, has voiced Britain’s willingness to provide seamless technological expertise to Nigeria in its ambitious Digital Switch Over (DSO) transition from analogue television signals to digital by June this year.

Arkwright expressed this desire yesterday at a bilateral meeting he had with the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, where they agreed to explore areas of mutual interests.

The British delegation comprised the Deputy High Commissioner, Harriet Thompson, Political Counsellor, Ben Llewellyn-Jones and Second Secretary, Lyndon Hackney.

Last year, Nigeria launched its digital switch over signals in both Jos and Abuja and is planning to extend the signals to other cities across the nation.

At yesterday’s parley, Arkwright expressed support for the competence of a British software and signal distributor, In View to help Nigeria realise its digital switch over objectives.

The diplomat said the United Kingdom which began the process of transiting from analogue to digital television on October 17, 2007 and completed the process on October 24, 2012, is at the fore front of the expertise with In View leading the way.

“We talked about the Digital Switch Over in Nigeria which is moving from a television analogue to digital. There is a British company, that is working very hard in Nigeria and looking at ways in which British expertise can help in the very important switch over.

‘’Following very successful launches in Jos and Abuja, there are plans for other regions and other cities to benefit from that. And again this is an area of great corporation which I am very proud to say the UK is at the forefront and the British company is leading the way on that,’’ Arkwright said.

Aside the DSO, the parley similarly explored several areas of bilateral interests between Nigeria and UK, including exchanges on tourism, cultural heritage, creative industry, film industry, intellectual property, ease of doing business and visa regime.

In August last year, the federal government and the British Council signed a Memorandum of Understanding at the Edinburg International Festival to revive dormant festivals and the creative sector.

 Mohammed lauded the corporation between British Council, saying it will boost government effort to use culture to diversify the economy and create employment for youth.