Broadcasting
NBC, ITS Renew Hope of Digitization of Broadcast Industry
The long awaited digital switch-over (DSO) in Nigeria has become a reality as stakeholders are putting finishing touches for its take-off in Kwara. In March, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), had listed six states, one from each geo-political zone of the country, for DSO.
The states are Kaduna in North-West, Kwara in North-Central, Gombe in North-East, Enugu in South-East, Osun in South-West and Delta in South-South.
Nigeria transited from analogue to digital television viewing on April 30, 2016 in Jos, Plateau State capital after the Federal Government launched the pilot phase of the digital transmission project.
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, minister of Information and Culture, also recently attributed the success of the DSO to the collective effort of stakeholders namely, Digiteam Nigeria, Broadcast Signal Distributors, Set-Top-Box manufacturers, channel owners, partners such as CCNL and In-view Technologies and Call Centre Operators.
Mr. Musbau Rotimi Salami, general manager of Integrated Television Services (ITS), one of the signal distribution companies for Nigeria’s DSO implementation and handlers of the Ilorin switch-over project, speaking with Sunday Vanguard at the NTA Ilorin Transmission Station, Ganmo, during the visit of the National Assembly ad-hoc committee on DSO, called for the review of the current business model arrangement put in place by the NBC to allow for more favourable operating and cost maximisation.
ITS, which came into being as a result of the report from Presidential Action Committee Report on Digital Migration in Nigeria, has done the needful by taking on the infrastructure of the FRCN, NTA, etc to ensure digital distribution to Nigerians. Salami explained that the organisation had been ready since May 22, 2017, when they began to expect the NBC contractor to install the equipment on their platform.
His words,’’ We of the ITS have been ready since May 22, 2017, but the way the platform is designed by NBC is such that they provide the equipment, the conditional access program, the EPG. They have a contractor who does this and we have informed them since, to come and integrate those systems on our platform. So, we are ready, but the NBC needs to be ready too’’.
The ITS GM explained further that the assignment of his firm is to build a transmission platform that, “will receive and transmit signals both from national, regional and local here in Ilorin”.
He went on: “We have been able to receive signals on the DCS platform, those signals belong to the NBC”.
“Right now, there are about 22 of them, but they need to program signals specifically for Ilorin, they need to create programs specifially for Ilorin, they had to complete national signals and local insertions.
“For now, we are concentrating on those infrastructures of NTA that we used for signal broadcast.
But unfortunately, what we can only inherit from this transition is the mast and the transmitter hose. NTA’s transmitters are obsolete, they are analogue and they are not even supported by the equipment manufacturers anymore, so they are not useful in the new process.
“So, the only benefit we have here now is the mast, the transmission hose. Like Ilorin, their antenna is obsolete, their antenna is VHF, while we are operating on UHF; so virtually, the only thing we have gained here is the mast”.
He also said that for the process to be completed, the NBC needs to make the EPG system available, saying that it’s the signals that would be used to activate the decoder for the receivers at home.
Above all, Salami stressed the need for the NBC to make the set of boxes available and affordable for residents.
The ITS boss, who said the review of the existing business model is imperative to allow for equitable benefits for operators and stakeholders, noted that the business model has been a bone of contention for so long, especially for signal distributors.
“Already the Minister of Information and Culture has called for a review of it. We are eagerly awaiting the review as this will discourage the current situation where those who operate at the fringes and contribute minimally from reaping so much at the detriment of the major stakeholders”, he said.
Salami also assured the visiting NASS members that the Ilorin project met the requirements for the launch and commissioning but only waiting for the team from NBC to put its technical inputs.
Speaking on the significance of the National Assembly members visit, he asked it afforded the ITS the opportunity to explain its side of the story, adding that everything done at the Ilorin center had been to standard of global broadcasting equipment installation.
The ITS boss dismissed the claim that the equipment used at the Ilorin centre was obsolete.
He said such claim was misplaced and amounted to a lack of understanding of the technology behind the equipment used. He used the opportunity to appeal to Nigerians on the need to put the nation first in every aspect of business relationship.
“We must ensure that national interests come first above personal and parochial interests. Integrated Television Services is conscious of the history behind it and will work to protect the interest of the Nigerian television consumers and the entire broadcasting industry in Nigeria.”
On the quality of the DSO, he said: “When fully operational, the ITS will have on its platform over 30 channels on its Free TV bouquet, thus delivering unbeatable state of the art quality television experience and pocket friendly plan to the people of Kwara State”.
The members of the National Assembly, after the inspection of the equipment and interaction with stakeholders, told journalists that the digitalisation of broadcast industry was a done deal.
According to the leader of the six-man team, Hon Chris Emeka Azubogu, Deputy Chairman, House Committee on Appropriation,” we have seen the level of readiness and asked critical questions and they provided answers.
“We are sure from what they have said that they are ready, we have seen that the equipment are there, they are well and ready to hit the ground running.”
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are set to introduce a joint broadcast monitoring framework ahead of the 2027 general elections as part of efforts to curb unethical broadcasting and promote responsible election coverage.
Charles Ebuebu, director-general, NBC, who disclosed the plan recently, said the collaboration would strengthen election monitoring through the deployment of advanced technology and closer coordination between regulatory agencies.
According to him, the increasing influence of digital and online platforms has made it imperative for regulators to work together rather than operate independently.
“We have written to INEC, and we are going to have a joint monitoring outlook over the elections. Gone are the days when agencies work in silos. When we coordinate, we’re able to monitor more effectively,” Ebuebu said.
He explained that the partnership would enable both agencies to jointly identify and address violations of broadcasting regulations during the election period instead of handling such issues separately.
Beyond INEC, Ebuebu said the NBC is also partnering with other key regulators to strengthen oversight of election-related content across digital platforms.
According to him, the commission is finalising agreements with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) ahead of the polls to reinforce its monitoring capabilities.
“We are calling in other stakeholders to reinforce the election monitoring. We are signing agreements with the Nigerian Communications Commission and the National Information Technology Development Agency before the elections,” he said.
Ebuebu also revealed that the NBC is upgrading its monitoring infrastructure with artificial intelligence (AI)-powered tools to keep pace with the rapidly expanding media landscape.
He noted that the proliferation of online platforms has made traditional monitoring methods inadequate.
“With online platforms, there are thousands of them. You need more than staff; you need AI monitoring facilities,” he said.
The NBC chief added that the commission has significantly improved its monitoring capacity and can currently track nearly 50 broadcast channels from its monitoring centre in Abuja.
He said additional monitoring facilities would be established across the country in line with evolving broadcasting technologies.As part of preparations for the 2027 elections, Ebuebu announced plans for a sensitisation workshop in Ibadan that will bring together broadcasters, INEC officials, security agencies and other stakeholders.
He said the engagement had become necessary as political discussions surrounding elections continue to grow more heated, including on television, stressing the need for broadcasters to adhere to professional standards.
Ebuebu noted that the commission has had to issue several warnings to broadcast stations for violating the broadcasting code during election periods.
“We have had to write several of them because they simply forget what the code says,” he said
Mrs. Clementine Wamba, head, Digital Switch Over (DSO) at the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), has stressed the need for broadcasting stations and practitioners nationwide to work towards meeting the 2028 global deadline for the switch over.
She made the call in her presentation titled, “DSO Big Picture: Free TV Audience Measurement and the Evolving Media Landscape”, at the 2026 NBC South West Summit held in Ibadan.
Wamba harped on the need for practitioners to adopt DSO in the transmission of news and other programmes in order to meet future challenges, stating that any country that fail to align with the DSO by 2028 will be shut out of practice.
This development, according to her, may result in job losses and other consequences that could hinder the growth of the industry in Nigeria, noting that Free TV is tailored towards the DSO, with provision for many channels in contrast to the age-long analogue system.
According to her, “The Digital Switch Over is a technological improvement on the age-long analogue style of broadcasting in the country. With the adoption of the DSO, practitioners will be in tune with global practice of broadcast journalism.
“Also, its benefits include efficient use of spectrum, changing of industry landscape, more access to national development programmes and better viewing experience.”
National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has said that Nigerians will no longer pay annual Digital Access Fees under the renewed Digital Switch Over (DSO) project.
Charles Ebuebu, director-general, NBC, disclosed this in an exclusive interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Abuja,
Ebuebu said viewers only need to purchase an approved decoder and satellite dish which cost below N20,000 to enjoy free television permanently.
“Previously, users paid an annual digital access fee of about N1,500, described as an administrative charge.
“The new system removes that annual fee. It provides free access to free-to-air television channels without any payment.
“Premium channels will be introduced later. Viewers who want those additional channels will be able to access them through paid services.
“Nigerian content on free-to-air channels remains free to watch. Unlike Pay TV, this platform does not require monthly subscriptions for its basic service,” he said
Ebuebu said approved decoders for the FreeTV will cost less than N20,000 and authorised sales outlets will soon be announced.
He urged Nigerians to wait for official information on approved dealers for the DSO decoders, warning that unauthorised sellers are exploiting growing public demand.
He reiterated that people only need a free-to-air decoder, along with a satellite dish instead of the old antenna system to receive the DSO signal.
“Once the equipment is installed, viewers can access all available channels across the country without paying any subscription fees,” he stressed
The DG dismissed claims by some retailers that there are different categories of decoders sold at varying prices, stressing that such sellers are not authorised by the commission.
According to him, the NBC will soon publish the list of approved dealers, official prices, and locations where genuine decoder boxes and accessories can be purchased.
The NBC boss said the DSO project is designed not only to improve television broadcasting but also to stimulate economic growth by creating jobs, attracting investment, and opening up opportunities for businesses that support the broadcasting industry.
Ebuebu noted that content producers and broadcasters stand to benefit significantly from the nationwide reach of the DSO platform.
Unlike the previous system, where many stations had limited regional audiences, he said the new platform will make their channels available to viewers across Nigeria.
He added that the introduction of audience measurement technology will provide scientific and reliable data on television viewership.
Ebuebu added that audience measurement technology will give advertisers greater confidence in placing adverts and enable broadcasters to demonstrate the true size and reach of their audiences nationwide.
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