Tinubu Approves N10bn for Upgrading of DSO

Olawale Ajimotokan in Abuja

President Bola Tinubu has approved the sum of N10 billion for the transformation of Digital Switch Over (DSO) and improvement of the country’s broadcasting landscape.

The Director General National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Charles Ebuebu, disclosed this yesterday at a media briefing addressed with the Vice Chairman, Nigeria Communications Commission, Dr Aminu Maida.

He said the presidential grant was approved from spectrum sales to the NBC to drive technological advancement, economic growth, and cultural enrichment through the DSO project.

Ebuebu assured that the funds allotted to the project would be meticulously expended to ensure that each component of the DSO Eco-system contributes significantly to the realization of digital dividends for the country.

“This intervention is a testament to the visionary leadership of the President. It is a commitment to achieving a future where every Nigerian, regardless of their location, has access to superior broadband services and is included in the digital economy.

To accelerate this process, the Commission is in collaboration with the Nigeria Communications Commission. This collaboration signifies a strategic alliance and a unified effort to bring about a seamless transition to digital broadcasting and underscores NCC’s determination to support this monumental project and ensure its success,” he said.

The country’s first attempt at digital switch over from analogue to the Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) platform began in 2016, in Jos, Plateau State.

However, the process which traversed Kano, FCT, Lagos, Rivers, Kwara, Enugu and Osun has stalled due to enormous challenges.

The DG NBC said the presidential grants will be deployed into acquiring satellites to cover the whole country, which will enable Direct To Homes (DTH) broadcasting.

The other key areas of utilization, according to him, include developing and managing channels that cater to diverse content such as educational, children’s programming, comedy, sports and local language channels.

Other areas include leasing of transponders and establishing a robust satellite backbone to ensure 100 per cent signal coverage across the country that will expedite the Analog Switch Off and enhance accessibility to FreeTV services nationwide.

The grant will also be spent on implementing advanced audience measurement tools to provide broadcasters and the industry with detailed insights into viewership patterns, preferences, and demographics, marketing, content production studios, acquisition and distributing hybrid Android/DTH set-top boxes with data connectivity functionalities, upgrading the national call centre and conducting comprehensive training sessions and workshops for stakeholders.

Ebuebu noted that adopting the digital broadcasting standards will align Nigeria with global norms, enhancing its competitiveness and attracting foreign investments.