The chairman of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Alhaji Aliyu Bibis, has said that dearth of funds is presently stalling the much awaited digital switchover from analogue to digital terrestrial television platforms in Nigeria .
Alhaji Bibis said this in Ibadan while speaking at a 2-day management retreat organised for National Assembly committee on Information, National Orientation Ethics and Value which kicked off Wednesday.
Speaking through Alhaji Danladi Bako, the NBC chairman urged the National Assembly to help strengthen the NBC Act in other to give the commission the impetus to achieve results and measure up the digital standard expected of a regulator of broadcasting in the digital era.
“The digital switchover from analogue to digital terrestrial television platforms is a critical part of these projects. This has been stalled due to dearth of funds. We seek your support in the release of funds for this project that is a global phenomenon, to be completed,” he said.
Alhaji Bilis pointed out that NBC can achieve the goal of enthronement and sustenance of a laudable broadcasting industry only when adequately supported by all stakeholders with the National Assembly, being the most important.
In his address, the NBC director general, Mallam Is’Haq Modibbo Kawu, stated that one of the major focus of the commission is to ensure the transition from analogue to digital which according to him is a major international commitment
“One of the major agendas of our industry today is the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting. It is a major international commitment that our country is undertaking, in consonance with the directives of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). As you might be aware, we have carried out the Digital Switch over (DSO), in six locations around the country. We want to accelerate the process of completion of the project around the country, but we face the challenge of financing,” he said.
The NBC DG said for now, Nigeria had a total of 726 radio and television stations with 445 radio stations and 281 television stations and that new stations comes on literally, every month, saying, “as we speak, we are processing a long list of new commercial radio stations, DTT television outfits, community radio stations, campus broadcasters as well as public institutions’ radio stations”.
The chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Information, National Orientation Ethics and Value, Honourable Segun Dokun Odebunmi in his remark lauded
the NBC director general and entire management of the N B C for organising the retreat to brief members of this committee on the mandate of the agency as well as Conception, Implementation, Benefits and Challenges of the Digital Switch Over (D S O) in Nigeria, including other past and present endeavours of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC)with a view to put all hands on deck for the progress of broadcasting industry in Nigeria.
“It is in my belief that at the end of this program, we will all be on the same page as to the connection between the National Broadcasting Commission and Nigerians,” he said.
