Broadcasting
Healthcare officials in Kaduna State laud Zipline Services
Healthcare officers in Kaduna and its environs have observed great improvements in medical services since Zipline commenced commercial flight delivery of medical supplies to health facilities in the state via drones.
Zipline made its first commercial delivery in Kaduna on August 15, 2022. Since then, the center has made more than 13,507 commercial deliveries containing more than 224,778 vaccine doses including 154,305 doses of COVID-19 vaccines, 1,159,176 units of medical products and 407,889 units of consumables to facilities in Gimi-Tasha, Crossing HC, Kargi, Gedage, Kaibi, Tumbau, Karre, Garun Kurama, Tashan Tsamiya, Kaware amongst others.
“Before Zipline, facilities providing basic healthcare programs had to travel far to get drugs for registered clients when there was a shortage,” says Idris Isa, the Director-In-Charge of the Karreh Primary Health Center.
“It was often a challenge to replenish deliveries, which always took longer than expected. But since we started working with Zipline,
“We can just place orders, and they deliver them in record time. The difference is clear, and the supply has been incredible to save more lives.”
Isa adds that Zipline deliveries have helped healthcare workers improve patient care. Since working with Zipline, he has noticed better outcomes for patients being treated for hypertension, pneumonia, measles, HIV, cholera, meningitis, yellow fever, malaria, tuberculosis and pregnancy complications.
Part of the reason Zipline improved outcomes, Isa says, is because instant access to medical supplies allowed staff to treat patients at the health center rather than referring them elsewhere.
He observed that the previous rate of referrals was a major deterrent for people to visit the health facility.
He also commended Zipline and the government for introducing the technology that has saved lives, especially in areas where healthcare access remains a challenge.
Health officials say essential drug delivery to various health facilities in the state has improved leading to increase in outpatient cases, shortened delay time in access to healthcare etc. This has transformed how medical supplies are delivered to health facilities within the state, impacting those in underserved communities.
Idris Isa is not alone in his assessment of the Zipline support. Wada Yunusa, the Director-In-Charge of Ibada Health Center praised Zipline for the timely delivery of critical medical interventions that has saved many lives, especially in cases of emergency.
According to him, “Zipline delivery to the health center has been fast and efficient. Their timely support is enabling us to deliver on our mandate with ease knowing that even when we need medication in times of emergencies, they will come to the rescue”.
Over the years, Zipline has demonstrated capacity to work with governments and health systems to enable health supply chains to become more efficient.
Commenting on the impact of the service, the Community Lead of Zipline in Kaduna State, Kwasu Kanchok, indicated that the drone delivery system has immensely contributed to the overall health delivery at the facilities we serve. .
“More than 300 health facilities within 80 -100 kilometers from the host local government Kubau to Galadimawa PHC, Kauru LGA to Lere LGA, and the other communities get their essential drugs through Zipline,” Kanchok said. “By the support of the State Government of Kaduna, we are removing most of the access barriers that inhibit health delivery in the area. Health centers do not need to wait days before getting medical supplies. Now, they can get the supplies they need within 30 minutes.”
Ms Catherine Odiase, General Manager of Zipline Nigeria, said, “We remain committed to ensuring that the people of Kaduna can access the care they need at health facilities. And in addition to creating immediate access to medical supplies and providing coherent data to the facilities, we are also contributing to driving down all forms of mortality rates within Kaduna. In addition to Zipline’s technology and team, we have the leadership of the Government of Kaduna State to thank for this successful partnership.
Zipline, the global leader in instant logistics deliveries, has become a household name for immediate transport of medical logistics, with over 500,000 deliveries of medical commodities, over 5-million products delivered and serving over 25 million customers across the globe.
The Kaduna State government believes this partnership is a tremendous opportunity to improve the overall health system and create employment opportunities for the citizens.
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has said that its planned Digital Switch-Over (DSO) project will create access to Nigeria’s N605.2 billion advertising market for broadcasters and content creators.
Speaking at a press conference, Charles Ebuebu, director-general, NBC, said the project is expected to officially launch nationwide on June 17, 2026, while analogue television broadcasting will completely end by December 31, 2028.
According to him, the switch from analogue to digital broadcasting will help government agencies deliver better television services across Nigeria in a way that is sustainable, reliable, and easier to regulate.
Ebuebu explained that digital broadcasting will allow broadcasters and content creators to earn more revenue because audience data can be measured more accurately.
He also said the project could benefit the economy through the release of valuable 700/800 MHz spectrum, which may generate more than $1 billion from future auctions.
The funds are expected to support digital infrastructure and expand broadband access in rural communities.
NBC added that Nigeria’s creative industry, which contributes about N5 trillion to GDP and supports more than 4.2 million jobs, could benefit from improved content distribution and export opportunities across West Africa using NigComSat-1R.
For consumers, NBC said the FreeTV service will not require monthly subscription payments. Households will only need a small satellite dish and an open-standard DVB-S2 decoder, estimated to cost between N15,000 and N25,000.
Broadcasters were encouraged to join the FreeTV platform and take advantage of an 18-month free carriage period.
However, the Commission noted that there is still an ongoing legal dispute involving local manufacturers over set-top boxes, although officials said this will not stop the national rollout.
On satellite expansion plans, Jane Egerton-Idehen, managing director and CEO, Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited, said NIGCOMSAT 2A is expected in 2028, while NIGCOMSAT 2B is planned for 2029.
She added that backup arrangements have already been made to ensure uninterrupted service and that migration to the new system will happen gradually across different regions to avoid nationwide disruptions.
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has unveiled a new “Big Picture” strategy aimed at achieving full nationwide Digital Switch-Over (DSO) by December 31, 2028.
DSOis designed to provide Nigerians with superior picture and sound quality while unlocking an estimated N605.2 billion in advertising revenue and generating over $1 billion from digital spectrum auctions.
Charles Ebuebu, director-general of NBC, in a statement issued on Monday, said the revised strategy adopts a converged broadcasting model combining Direct-to-Home (DTH), Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) and Internet Protocol (IP) systems to expand access to digital television services nationwide.
The Commission also announced June 17, 2026, as the official national launch date for the renewed rollout, describing the framework as a more practical pathway toward a sustainable and affordable digital broadcasting system after nearly two decades of delays.
Ebuebu, said that the transition is no longer being treated as a competition between technologies but as a unified access solution tailored to Nigeria’s geographic and infrastructure realities.
“The Big Picture strategy recognises convergence as the future of broadcasting and aligns with the 2012 DSO White Paper, which adopted both terrestrial and satellite standards including DVB-T and DVB-S2 technologies,” the statement said.
NBC said the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) would play a central role in national content distribution, particularly in underserved and remote areas where terrestrial infrastructure remains weak.
The Commission cited countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, Kenya, South Africa and Morocco as examples of jurisdictions that successfully adopted hybrid digital broadcasting models to accelerate migration from analogue systems.
On affordability, NBC assured Nigerians that the proposed FreeTV platform would remain subscription-free for baseline access, adding that compatible DVB-S2 decoders currently cost between N15,000 and N25,000. It said discussions were ongoing on possible subsidy arrangements and financing options for low-income households.
The regulator also defended its plan to support both local manufacturing and transitional importation of set-top boxes, noting that Nigeria would require millions of devices over several years to complete the migration.
Beyond transmission, NBC disclosed plans to introduce a national audience measurement system under the GARB ratings framework to improve advertising transparency and broadcasting analytics.
It projected that the DSO programme could unlock Nigeria’s estimated N605.2 billion advertising market while also freeing up valuable digital dividend spectrum estimated at over $1 billion.
NBC further said Nigeria’s creative industry, valued at about N5 trillion and employing more than 4.2 million people, stands to benefit from expanded distribution channels and improved content monetisation.
Broadcasters, it added, would enjoy free carriage on the platform for 18 months, alongside wider national reach, indigenous language channels and improved commercial opportunities.
Association of Licensed Set-Top Box Manufacturers of Nigeria (STBMAN) has warned that the unilateral implementation transition from analogue to digital broadcasting, could trigger confusion, legal disputes, and disruptions capable of undermining the credibility of the 2027 general election.
STBMAN urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently intervene and halt what it described as a unilateral implementation process, pending wider consultations with stakeholders in the broadcasting industry.
Sir Godfrey Ohuabunwa, chairman of the association in statement in Abuja, faulted the current implementation process by the National Broadcasting Commission’s (NBC).
STBMAN said that although it supports Nigeria’s digital migration programme, the approach currently being pursued by the NBC appeared rushed and inconsistent with the 2012 Digital Switchover (DSO) White Paper approved by the Federal Executive Council.
The association argued that the arrangement being presented as a Digital Switchover was merely the aggregation of channels on NigComSat platforms rather than a fully Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) migration as originally envisioned under the national DSO framework.
According to the group, failure to carry critical stakeholders along could erode public confidence, weaken access to information, and create avoidable disruptions in the broadcasting sector at a politically sensitive period ahead of the 2027 elections.
It noted that millions of Nigerians still depend on free-to-air broadcasting for information dissemination, civic education, election coverage,e and public enlightenment.
The group stressed that any poorly coordinated migration process could result in signal disruptions, public confusion, and unequal access to information during the election season.
STBMAN also expressed concern that the NBC risked creating a conflict of interest by acting simultaneously as regulator and content aggregator, contrary to the spirit of the 2012 White Paper and global best practices guiding digital broadcasting migration.
The association, therefore, called for an urgent national stakeholders’ roundtable, an independent legal and technical review of the DSO process, review and update of the 2012 DSO White Paper, nationwide public sensitisation on the implications of digital migration, and measures to protect local broadcasting and public interest.
It maintained that it was not opposed to digital migration but insisted that the process must be transparent, inclusive, lawful, and technically sound.
The group warned that failure to properly manage the transition could weaken democratic communication structures, waste public resources, and negatively affect national cohesion and the credibility of the 2027 elections.
“Mr. President, Nigeria cannot afford confusion in its broadcasting system at a time the nation is preparing for another critical democratic transition. The time to act is now,” the statement added.
Association of Licensed Set-Top Box Manufacturers of Nigeria, represents domestic electronics manufacturers responsible for producing the decoder boxes needed for the country’s transition from analogue to digital broadcasting.
CBN Extends PoS Geo-Fencing Enforcement Deadline to August 2026
Nigerian Capital Market to Transition to T+1 Settlement Cycle on Monday
Report Shows Start-ups Fuel Innovations in Africa
NCC Expands IPv6 Board with the Appointment of Olusola Teniola, Funke Opeke Others
FidBank UK Broadens Investment Pathways for Nigerians into the UK Market
MTN, VDT, Zoracom, Digital Realty Back 2026 Girls in ICT Campaign
Vitel Wireless Partners Fintechs to Expand Access to Services
FG Okays 112 as Toll-Free National Emergency Response Number
Opay Plans IPO in US, Targets $4Bn in Valuation
CPN Begins Crackdown on Quack IT Professionals, Vows Tougher Action against Cybercrime
Telecom3 days agoBharti Airtel Named Fourth Largest Mobile Network Operator in the World
E-Business1 day agoAnthropic Raises $65 Bn to Expand AI Research, Innovation
Telecom1 day agoTelcos Mull Calculator to Address Data Depletion Complaints
Telecom3 days agoMTN Nigeria Reaches 93.7% Population Coverage, Invests N2.7bn In Communities as Child Online-Safety Drive Launches
News3 days agoALX Broadens AI Training in Africa
General News1 day agoNCDC Says Lagos, FCT, Others on High Ebola Alert
- General News3 days ago
NCDC Warns against Using Bitter Kola, Salt Water as Ebola Remedies
News3 days agoSwift Network Faces Winding-up Battle over Alleged N115m Debt