Broadcasting
NBC Says no Going Back on New Broadcasting Code
Armstrong Idachaba, director-general of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), says the commission is not backing down on the controversial amendment to the country’s broadcasting code.
Idachaba said the new broadcasting code is to break the monopoly of “greedy capitalists” who “call themselves dominant players” and allow local payTV platforms to thrive.
In March 2020, the NBC released the 6th edition of its broadcasting code, which mandates sub-licensing of premium content and kills the idea of exclusivity.
Broadcasters, columnists, and Multichoice, one of the dominant players in the Nigerian payTV industry, have spoken against the code, which they say further stifles the growth of the industry.
But Idachaba disagrees; according to him, “the amendments have been made, no going back because we believe it is good for our country, they are already operational”.
Speaking with Osasu Igbinedion on The Osasu Show, Idachaba said the NBC has licenced several local payTV platforms, but they do not survive due to the presence of the likes of DStv.
When asked about the negative effect the lack of exclusivity clause may have on DStv, Idachaba said: “Let me give you a poser as background: Why is it, have you ever thought, that our local tv, cable, paid services are nonexistent? There is no Nigerian that is active on the payTV platform, no Nigerian company.
“NBC licenced several, up to 30 Nigerian firms to offer paid television services in Nigeria and none of them succeeded. Why, because they cannot compete in the international content market.
“And what happens to the international content market, the people with the big purse, the global capitalist, those that call themselves dominant players, they go to acquire those rights and keep it to themselves in the guise of exclusivity and deny all other operators an opportunity for sublicensing.
“What does that do? What it does is to create a monopolistic economy for whoever is the buyer of that content and the person is able to maximize profit unhindered. That is why you find internet penetration in Nigeria is increasing by the day. That is why you find that all those big monopolies break even and make tonnes of money.
“What we are saying is that when you go to acquire these rights, because you are acquiring them for the Nigerian market, because your intent is to exploit the Nigerian audiences and viewers, we want you also to give back by sublicensing to local Nigerian players that may be interested.”
Idachaba said DStv must now sub-licence the English Premier League to other players in the industry, who may be interested.
“If you bring EPL for instance and say I am the owner of EPL, only me can show EPL and on my platform alone, so whoever wants to watch premier league would have to buy DStv, even if you have Startimes, you cannot watch,” he added.
“If you are on open television, the open terrestrial, where low-income earner, those on the lower social ladder, where they thrive, then they are denied which is class stratification in itself on account of content acquisition.
“We are saying create these windows. If you get the rights, fine, we welcome you, invest in Nigeria, but create channels for sublicensing”
Confronted with the fact that Multichoice, the owners of DStv, don not have the rights to sub-licence the English Premier League (EPL) Idachaba said “whoever is giving them the rights has to understand” that there is a new NBC code.
“If you are going to acquire your rights, you know that in the Nigerian Broadcasting Code, we have plainly said you can’t have exclusive right. So whoever, if giving you that right has to understand that he cannot give it to only you in Nigeria.
“If any other Nigerian is interested in that right, they must also discuss at mutually agreed price. Because what has happened over time is that this exclusivity is used to shut other people who are willing to participate. You shut the window.
“How then do you develop an economy? We have thousands of young promising Nigerian entrepreneurs, you know that premium content derives advertising. If these channels are made available at lower window levels through sublicensing to local little operators, they too will be able to attract some level of advertising.
“But Capitalist are greedy, they are extremely self-centered, they don’t want to give it out. But we know it is important for our own economy and creative subsectors that this happens.”
The DG, who has worked at NBC for over 28 years called on Nigerians to “have an ideological, philosophical understanding of the motive of the policy, what does it intend to achieve”.
He said the policy is to “redynamise and redistribute wealth in a way that there would be more participation, more engagement and more opportunities”.
“What makes the capitalist think that by keeping content to themselves, they maximize all the profits? Chances are that by sublicensing, you make more. The more you share to people based on the agreed sum, you are more likely to make more money quickly. It doesn’t reduce your own large share but creates open windows.”
MultiChoice Nigeria has launched a month-long promotional campaign tagged “Open Time”, offering eligible DStv subscribers access to higher viewing packages at no additional cost.
The promotion, which runs from June 1 to June 30, 2026, is aimed at rewarding existing customers, reconnecting subscribers and attracting new users across Nigeria.
Under the initiative, active subscribers on selected lower-tier packages, including Compact and Compact+, will automatically be upgraded to higher viewing tiers, with some customers gaining temporary access to Premium content during the promotional period.
According to the company, eligible subscribers will not be required to register or manually activate the offer, as upgrades will be applied automatically once subscription payments are confirmed.
In a statement announcing the campaign, MultiChoice said the initiative was designed to provide customers with access to a wider range of entertainment content and enhance viewing experiences.
“The Open Time initiative is a simple way for our customers to enjoy more of the stories they love and discover new content across genres, as long as their accounts remain active during the period,” the company stated.
The DStv Premium package, which currently costs N44,500 per month, offers access to more than 160 channels, including sports, movies, documentaries, children’s programming, news and lifestyle content.
MultiChoice said the offer applies to subscribers who maintain active accounts throughout the campaign period.
The company added that the promotion forms part of efforts to enhance customer value by providing broader access to entertainment content, including drama, sports, action and children’s programmes.
To participate, subscribers are required to make payments through approved channels such as the official DStv website, the MyDStv mobile application, USSD banking platforms and authorised payment agents.
The company clarified that all promotional upgrades would automatically expire at the end of June, after which subscribers would revert to their original subscription packages.
Industry analysts say the campaign comes amid increasing competition within Nigeria’s pay television and streaming market, where service providers are introducing incentives and value-added offerings to attract and retain customers.
MultiChoice said the initiative reflects its commitment to delivering quality entertainment and ensuring subscribers enjoy greater value from their subscriptions.
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.
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