Broadcasting

NBC Sets 2028 Deadline for Full Digital Switch-Over

Published

2 months ago

May 26, 2026

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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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Ebere Melum-Nwogbo

Ebere Melum-Nwogbo is a trained and practicing journalist. She is passionate about ICT and business journalism. She has over a decade experience spanning money and capital market as well as information technology

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Broadcasting

Mbunabo, Nigerian Filmmaker Accuses Ghana TV Stations of Pirating Nollywood Films

Published

17 hours ago

July 15, 2026

Ebere Melum-Nwogbo

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Uchenna Mbunabo, Nigerian filmmaker, has raised concerns over the alleged unauthorised broadcast of Nollywood films by some Ghanaian television stations, calling on Ghana’s National Film Authority (NFA) to strengthen the enforcement of copyright laws.

Mbunabo, Nigerian Filmmaker Accuses Ghana TV Stations of Pirating Nollywood Films

Uchenna Mbunabo, Nigerian filmmaker

Mbunabo made the remarks during a conversation with James Gardiner, deputy CEO of the National Film Authority (NFA) of Ghana.

He questioned whether it was permissible for television stations in Ghana to download Nigerian movies from YouTube and air them without obtaining permission from the producers.

“I noticed that Ghanaian TV stations, the way they are stealing our films and showing them for free with impunity. Is it legalised in your country for TV stations to go on YouTube, download people’s sweat and show it for free?”

According to Mbunabo, some Ghanaian television stations have been downloading newly released Nollywood films from YouTube and broadcasting them without authorisation, depriving producers of revenue generated through the platform.

He also stated that he had not witnessed Nigerian television stations engaging in similar practices and questioned what measures Ghana was taking to protect filmmakers’ intellectual property.

Responding to the concerns, Gardiner acknowledged that the issue exists and said the National Film Authority had begun engaging relevant stakeholders to address it.

He disclosed that the NFA has held discussions with the Ministry of Communications, the National Communications Authority (NCA) and the National Media Commission (NMC) on improving copyright enforcement.

Gardiner explained that while Ghana has copyright laws, enforcement remains challenging because many television stations now operate digitally and may not have physical offices within the country.

“There are copyright laws, but they are not effective because a lot of the TV stations don’t have offices. Most of them are now digital, so they operate from anywhere. They can even have a Ghanaian TV station but be operating from Austria simply because it is digital.”

He added that authorities are considering a new licensing framework that would require broadcasters to undergo a fresh licensing process to improve monitoring and enforcement.

According to Gardiner, television stations found guilty of illegally broadcasting copyrighted content would be required to compensate affected producers through fines.

He added that repeat offenders could face suspension of their broadcasting licences, while a third violation could result in the revocation of their licences.

Although he did not provide a specific timeline, Gardiner said the reforms were already underway and expressed hope that significant progress would be seen next year.

Mbunabo welcomed the proposed measures but urged the National Film Authority to expedite the process, stating that unauthorised broadcasts continue to affect filmmakers’ ability to recover production costs through legitimate distribution channels such as YouTube.

He also stressed that his comments were not directed at Ghana’s film industry, noting that he has worked with several Ghanaian actors over the years and supports collaborations between Nollywood and Ghallywood.

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Broadcasting

From Scarcity to Scale: What Africa Can Learn from India’s Agricultural Transformation

Published

5 days ago

July 11, 2026

Ugo Onwuaso

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By Alice Ruhweza and Dr Purvi Mehta

Food security is often framed as a question of production. Yet at its core, it is about something far more fundamental: how societies organise themselves to ensure that food remains reliably available, accessible, and affordable. In that sense, food is not only a commodity. It is a public good, central to economic stability, social cohesion, and national resilience. Food sector also continues to remain the largest employment generator across developing countries.

India’s transformation from a food deficit nation to one of the world’s largest agricultural producers is frequently linked to the Green Revolution. Focusing too narrowly on that moment misses the broader lesson, aligning policy, institutions, markets, and science around a clear national objective. That alignment moved India from vulnerability to resilience, and increasingly to economic strength.

For Africa, the question is not whether that journey can be replicated. It is what can be learned from how it was built, and how those lessons inform a different context.

A transformation shaped by leadership and systems

India’s agricultural progress reflects decades of political commitment, public investment, and institutional development.

Scientific advances mattered, but so did procurement systems, rural infrastructure, financing mechanisms, farmer participation and research networks. These elements worked together to stabilise food supply and support rural livelihoods. Agriculture was treated as a national priority linked to economic and political stability.

Governments invested in increasing production and ensuring food systems delivered broader outcomes, including stability, price predictability, and social protection. Public grain reserves, price support mechanisms, and distribution systems built food security and underpinned national resilience.

Shared foundations, different realities

Agriculture plays a central role in India’s economy supporting a large workforce and remains closely tied to food security and economic stability. Africa shares structural similarities – agriculture remains central to livelihoods and large rural populations depend on it for income and stability.

The differences are equally significant. Africa’s agricultural systems are diverse, spanning multiple agroecology and climate conditions. Climate exposure is acute, markets fragmented and the pace of population growth faster. The pressure to generate jobs and economic opportunity is immediate. This is not a case of one region following another along a fixed path. It is a different starting point with different pressures. Africa must design its own pathway rather than replicate a historical model.

What the transformation journey reveals

India’s experience offers a set of principles about how transformation happens. First, transformation is built over time, requires sustained political commitment and consistent investment. Progress is cumulative and depends on alignment across multiple parts of the system.

Second, institutions matter as much as innovation. Research systems, extension services, market structures, and financing mechanisms all ensure that productivity gains translate into stable outcomes for farmers.

Third, agriculture must be treated as an economic system. Producing more food is one part of the equation. Markets, value chains, storage, and price realization determine farmers’ benefit. Fourth, food systems require public purpose. Left entirely to market forces, they may not deliver stability, equity, or resilience. Public policy ensures food systems serve broader societal goals.

Fifth, technology development is important, but the impact comes from how well the technology is disseminated and adopted. Affordability and access to technology optimizes the potential of technology.

Finally, inclusion must be deliberate. Even successful transformations can produce uneven outcomes unless access to resources and opportunities is designed to reach smallholders, women, and young people.

From productivity to farmer prosperity

The important shift for Africa is to move beyond a narrow focus on productivity towards a clearer focus on farmer prosperity. Agriculture remains the primary source of livelihood for millions, yet many farmers operate below viable economic thresholds, with limited access to markets, finance, and value addition opportunities.

The next phase of transformation must focus on converting agricultural activity into stable and growing incomes. This requires systems that connect production to markets, strengthen participation in value chains, and support farming as a viable economic enterprise.

Farmer prosperity is not simply a social ambition. It is an economic imperative. When farmers generate reliable incomes, they invest more, produce efficiently and participate fully in markets, strengthening economies and long-term development.

An evolving approach across Africa

Institutions such as AGRA work with governments, research systems, and private actors to strengthen these foundations. The emphasis is on aligning evidence, markets, finance, and policy for agricultural systems to function coherently and deliver measurable outcomes, shifting away from isolated interventions to coordinated efforts that link productivity, market access, and income growth.

Africa’s opportunity is different

Africa enters this moment with advantages such as digital connectivity is expanding, regional markets are growing, national and regional institutions are strengthening. Access to knowledge and technology is greater than ever before.

These conditions create the possibility not only to accelerate progress, but to design it differently. Climate resilience, diversification, and market participation can be integrated from the outset to build inclusive, adaptive and more sustainable food systems.

A new phase of agricultural transformation

India’s journey demonstrates large scale agricultural transformation is possible. It shows how it is built through leadership, institutions, and long-term commitment. Africa’s path will not be identical, but the ambition is similar: to ensure agriculture functions not only as a source of food, but as a driver of economic growth and stability.

The question is no longer whether transformation can happen. It’s whether leadership, systems, and partnerships will align to make it happen at scale.

Ms Ruhweza is the current AGRA President and Dr Mehta is an international development expert and advisor

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Broadcasting

BON Establishes Six Ad Hoc Committees to Modernize Broadcasting

Published

6 days ago

July 10, 2026

Ebere Melum-Nwogbo

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Broadcasting Organization of Nigeria (BON) has established six committees to help strengthen and modernize the country’s broadcasting industry.

The committees will focus on content creation, skills development, digital transformation, sustainability, policy and commercial opportunities

The initiative aims to support industry growth and improve collaboration between broadcasters, regulators and media experts

The official launch recently, was led by Tony Akiotu, president, BON and attended by media professionals, program directors, former journalists and heads of specialized media organizations.

The event brought together several prominent figures in Nigeria’s media industry, including veteran broadcaster and trainer Bimbo Oloyede, Tony Uyah of M4S TV, Kingsley Uranta of Channels Television, Ismael Sani of Platinum TV and Ibrahim Shehu of Trust TV.

Together, they are expected to help drive innovation and support the growth of Nigeria’s broadcasting sector.

According to Akiotu, the committees are intended both to help shape industry policy and to provide a forum for dialogue between BON and broadcasting experts.

Akiotu said the ad hoc committees were intended to strengthen BON’s work and ensure that the umbrella body for Nigeria’s broadcasters played a more direct and meaningful role in developing the country’s broadcasting sector.

The six committees reflect the sector’s main priorities. The first focuses on collaboration and innovation to promote content creation.

The second is dedicated to training and talent development, while the third focuses on industry sustainability by improving the sector’s long-term financial viability.

A fourth committee will focus on digital transformation and work with the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) on regulatory issues.

The remaining two committees will oversee public policy advocacy and the development of sports and commercial rights to help broadcasters increase revenue and attract more investment. Together, the committees are expected to guide BON’s efforts to modernize and strengthen Nigeria’s broadcasting industry.

The committees, chaired by members of BON’s General Assembly and supported by the organization’s Secretariat, have an initial 12-month mandate that may be renewed if necessary.

They are required to submit a progress report within three months and implement approved recommendations within the following six months.

The arrangement is intended to ensure close oversight and the timely implementation of their work.

Akiotu also reminded committee members that Nigeria pioneered television broadcasting in Africa and urged them to carry out their work with greater effectiveness and efficiency.

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