The Federal Government has set December 2028 as the final deadline for Nigeria’s full transition from analogue to digital television broadcasting.
Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission, Charles Ebuebu, disclosed this in Abuja while speaking on the country’s Digital Switch Over programme.
Ebuebu said the December 2028 date would mark the final analogue switch-off across the country.
He explained that several measures would be implemented before the deadline to ensure a smooth transition for broadcasters, viewers and other stakeholders.
According to him, the current stage represents the first phase of the process.
The NBC boss said later phases would include paid television services, studio development and the establishment of designated production centres for content creators.
He added that work on audience measurement was already progressing.
Ebuebu said a proof of concept had been completed in about 7,000 homes in Lagos, while implementation had started in Abuja.
He said the commission would publicly announce details of the different phases after consultations with major stakeholders.
According to him, the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria and other industry players would be engaged to secure their support for the transition.
The NBC director-general said the analogue switch-off would release valuable broadcast spectrum for other national uses.
He described the spectrum as a strategic asset that could support growth in telecommunications, digital services, application development and financial technology.
Ebuebu said the spectrum would be professionally valued before being allocated to potential users.
He estimated that the value could be above $50 billion, but said consultants would determine the actual worth before any allocation is made.
On obsolete broadcasting equipment, Ebuebu said the NBC was working on a policy guided by expert advice and global best practices.
He said the Digital Switch Over white paper requires broadcasters to separate content production from transmission.
Under the arrangement, transmission would be handled by licensed signal distributors such as NIGCOMSAT.
Ebuebu said some old analogue equipment could be repurposed where possible.
He added that the Federal Government would be approached to take responsibility for unusable assets in order to prevent environmental hazards from industrial waste.
The NBC said the final switch-off would support Nigeria’s digital broadcasting agenda and help modernise the country’s television industry.
