Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has said
that the Digital Switch Over (DSO) process is now on cruise control,
following the rollout of digital television in two states within 48
hours.
Speaking at the launch of the DSO in Kaduna, Kaduna State, on Friday,
the Minister said the rollout in Kaduna, coming two days after that of
Kwara State, has confirmed that the transition from analogue to
digital television is now back on track.
Until the digital television rollout resumed with the Kwara launch on
Wednesday, the last DSO launch was in Abuja in December 2016, but the
Minister said the rollout will now continue apace.
”Within the next few weeks, we will be rolling out in many more
states as we seek to take the digital television experience to all the
six geo-political zones. We now have our two Signal Distributors in
full operation mode, our aggregation platform for channels, FreeTV, is
fast becoming a household name, our Set-Top-Box suppliers have started
local production and we now have almost a million boxes supplied into
the value chain,” he said.
Mohammed congratulated the Signal Distributor for Kaduna State,
Pinnacle Communications, saying it had achieved another milestone in
the rebuilding of the nation’s television story.
He also commended all the stakeholders who are working round the clock
to ensure the success of the transition from analogue to digital
television across the country.
”The National Broadcasting Commission, the Signal Distributors, the
Set Top Box manufacturers, Digiteam Nigeria and indeed all
stakeholders are pulling all the stops to ensure that the DSO train
continues unimpeded on its journey across the country. Thank you
all,” the Minister said.
He said with the resumption of the DSO process, the focus will now
shift to content production that will help to bolster the economy.
”By content here I refer to TV shows, sitcoms, documentaries, music
videos, drama series, talent and reality shows
etc. The challenge before us is to ensure that this becomes a
profitable industry for our creative talent, entrepreneurs,
advertising agencies, TV channels and Digital distributors,” Alhaji
Mohammed said.
The launch was witnessed by dignitaries including the Kaduna State
Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, his Deputy, Arch. Bala Bantex,
Chairman, Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation,
Senator Suleiman Adokwe; Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on
Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values, Hon. Lawal Anka;
as well as the Directors-General of the National Broadcasting
Commission (NBC) and the Nigeria Television Authority, Mallam Is’haq
Modibbo Kawu and Mallam Yakubu Ibn Mohammed, respectively.
