18th April, 2021
By Florence Onuegbu/Lagos
The TV Digital Switch-Over (DSO) will be launched in Lagos, on April 29, marking the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, disclosed this on Saturday during a courtesy visit to Lagos State Governor, Mr Babajide Sanwo-Olu at the Lagos House, Marina.
Mohammed led the Ministerial Taskforce on Digital Switch Over (DSO) to the meeting.
Mohammed said that the decision to transit to digital television followed a treaty signed at the Regional Radio Communication Conference (RRC-06) in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 16, 2006, to usher in ‘all-digital’ terrestrial broadcast services for sound and television by a target date of June 17, 2015.
He said that this would create a more equitable, just and people-centred information society, which would connect underserved populations and remote communities, thereby bridging the digital divide.
According to him, the proposed rollout in Lagos will be a milestone for the DSO and the creative industry, as over one million jobs would be provided nationwide.
”We launched the DSO rollout in Jos, Plateau State, on April 30, 2016. Since then we have rolled out in four more states, Kwara, Kaduna, Enugu, and Osun, in addition to the Federal Capital Territory, bringing the total to five states and the FCT.
”We are now moving rapidly to cover the remaining 31 states. We are kick-starting the new rollout here in Lagos State on April 29, 2021.
”Kano State follows on June 3, 2021, Rivers State on July 8, 2021, Yobe State on July 15, 2021 and Gombe State on August 12, 2021, with more states slated thereafter.
”The rollout in Lagos reflects our decision to take the DSO to commercial centres across the country.
”With a population of over 20 million, and projected TV households of over five million, the launch of FreeTV in Lagos State will be a critical milestone for the DSO and for Nigeria’s broadcast and creative industry,” he said.
The minister added that with the FreeTV of the DSO, Nigerians would have opportunities to watch over 60 channels with great content, at a cheaper rate, and without subscription to payTV.