If there is a public policy in Nigeria that its implementation is shrouded in unnecessary confusion especially in the last five years, it is the policy on the digitisation of broadcasting in Nigeria from analogue to digital.
The Nigerian Broadcasting Commission seems complicit in the lack of progress in achieving full digital switch over of broadcasting in Nigeria.
According to the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), digital Switch Over (DSO) is the name given to the process of changing from analogue to digital TV broadcasting.
Digital broadcast according to experts, means that consumers can enjoy a wider variety of shows on multiple channels with a better quality of broadcast.
The Digital Switch Over (DSO) projects – a process where Nigerians can see more television and radio channels with higher sound and picture quality, can become one of the major achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration, as it will herald Digital Terrestrial Transmission (DTT), but, sadly it has been hindered by a lot of controversies which has stalled the process.
It also facilitates reduced power and energy consumption, and spectrum efficiency which brings a host of associated benefits for consumers and broadcasters. For instance, TV viewers will be able to enjoy 30 channels unlike the limited number of channels offered by analogue TV.
A fundamental disadvantage of analogue broadcasting is that it has a restricted choice of programming due to limited space for channels; having to tune the TV to your region to ensure that you could pick up broadcasts; having to play with the antennae to get a smooth, uninterrupted signal. But digital TV has changed all that.
When representatives from the 193 member states of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) met in Geneva, Switzerland, in June 2006, on 17th of that month, a statement was issued, resulting in a historic treaty signed by members, and would usher in a wave of digital broadcasting for 119 countries in Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia – to begin with. 2015, which was set as the terminal or deadline date, seemed too far off.
However, all of that long time seems so short for many countries that fall in the region marked for the first phase of the digital switchover from analogue to digital broadcasting, signed by all member countries of the ITU on June 17, 2006; but for those who prepared very well and have since achieved the migration, it was time well utilised.
The countries that failed to meet the deadline acted as students who were ill-prepared for an examination would always find the time allotted for the paper too short, or the time appearing to have speed past too fast; those who did their homework well, often smile to the invigilator. Those countries in Region 1 for the digital migration are now feeling: those who made it are wondering if 14 years was not too long a time, whereas those who could not make it wonder if indeed, 14 years have speed past so soon.
The Digital Switchover Over (DSO), the analogue switch-off (ASO) or the analogue shutdown, ultimately encompasses the process in which analogue television broadcast is converted to and replaced by digital television. The process primarily involves the conversion of analogue terrestrial television to digital. However, it also involves analogue cable conversion to digital cable, as well as analogue to digital satellite television.
History was made on April 30, 2016, in Jos, the Plateau State capital, when the federal government launched the pilot phase of the digital transmission project that kick-started the digitisation process in the country.
Minister of information and culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, launched the pilot phase in Jos, while President Muhammadu Buhari anchored the Abuja launch in December the same year.
Speaking during the switched-on ceremony in Abuja, President Buhari, who was represented by Vice-President Osinbajo, disclosed that the local industry is already experiencing a boost from the new vista in the digital economy, with several indigenous companies now manufacturing Set-Top-Boxes, as he was told that many of the set-top-boxes we are using for this Abuja switchover are produced in Nigeria.
Prof Osinbajo said digitisation will create jobs in the area of content and software development, provide the platform for film producers and musicians to release their productions directly to households, which will, of course, substantially cut off piracy.
“Even if only for the huge local and international opportunities of Broadcast, media, ICT, entertainment and education, we are right to say that we stand at the threshold of exciting times for job creation, entertainment and in general, local and international commerce,” he said.
However, since the launch of the DSO in Jos, Abuja, Kaduna, Ilorin, Osun and Enugu the whole process has been stalled with several controversies.
Amidst hullabaloos that led to a series of petitions against the erstwhile director-general, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Modibbo Kawu, over alleged corruption, after several months of being investigated on allegations of corruption, he was suspended three weeks ago by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The suspension is coming months after the anti-graft agency, ICPC, urged the federal government to suspend Kawu, and 32 other public officers/civil servants undergoing corruption trial at the time.
Pending the conclusion of investigations into the allegations against him, ICPC said it is prosecuting Kawu for “using his position to confer corruption advantage.”
Kawu and two others, Dipo Onifade and late Lucky Omonuwa were arraigned on May 2 over alleged N2.5 billion fraud by ICPC. The trio is being prosecuted on a 12-count charge for allegedly conspiring with each other, using the position of Kawu to confer a corrupt advantage.
The federal government, under the Digital Switch-Over programme, had earlier approved the payment of N2.5 billion as “Seed Grant” to Pinnacle Communications Ltd owned by late Omonuwa.
Residents of the Federal Capital Territory have decried poor digital signal and a drastic reduction in the number of channels offered by Free TV STBs, provided by the Digital Terrestrial Transmission (DTT).
In an interview with Blueprint, a resident of FCT, Sani Mohammed, noted that the number of channels he receives via the service has reduced since he renewed his annual subscription in January this year.
According to him, “Prior to now, I do receive 26 channels but now I receive less than five channels. I regret renewing my Free TV. It does not worth it. I am yet to get the value for my money since I paid for the annual subscription.”
Another resident, Maryam Abdullahi, said Nigerians deserve to enjoy DTT because technology is changing every day, but sadly, the reverse is the case, as the nation is lagging behind.
“I have resorted back to DSTV. The main essence of DSO is to bring better broadcasting quality and channels, and create more opportunities for Nigerians to create more jobs as they said. But something is wrong somewhere. The whole stress does not worth it,” she said.
A petition by Corruption Watchdogs, signed by Nari Rikoto noted that in all the places the launch took place, ‘’we can categorically say none was successfully executed. It is either half done or haphazardly done. It appears it is a failure. N10 billion released to the Commission in 2015 is already spent within space of one and a half years and was an outright failure.
‘’This has made many stakeholders lose faith in the project. Of recent, Broadcast Organization of Nigeria (BON) had cause to call a press conference to draw the attention of the Commission to come out and tell Nigerians if the scheme is not a sham. Even the federal government seems to have lost confidence in the DG spear-heading the project, the financial assistance it ought to have released for the continuation of the project is no longer attainable due to mistrust the government has on him.
Also, Concerned Staff of the National Broadcasting Commission collectively decided to draw the attention of the government to the ugly development in the commission to redeem the commission from further embarrassment and ridicule.
They said it is on record today that the administration of the commission has been turned to a one-man affair adding that management no longer seats to take decisions on matters of the Commission.
Since Prof. Armstrong Idachaba’s assumption of duty as the acting director-general, NBC, many believe that the process would be faster. A source close to NBC told said, “Prof Idachaba is a technocrat. He has been on this project since the beginning. I believe he is in a better position to deliver on this. Though funds have been a major challenge to DSO.”
Prof. Idachaba while chatting with journalists said the agency will be issuing a definite statement on the roll-out of the DSO process in the next three weeks.
He said that despite the setbacks, the federal government is determined to continue with the roll-out.
“The commission and indeed the federal government remain committed to the realisation of the digital transition because of its vast benefits to the vast number of Nigerians,’’ he said.
Speaking on the urgent need to ensure that the DSO is back on track to compete amongst the comity of nation, the group managing director of Gospell Digital Technology Limited, and chairman Set Top Box Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (STBMAN), Sir Godfrey Ohuabunwa, urged the federal government to fast track the nation’s digitization process.
Ohuabunwa decried that the digitization process has been delayed for too long. He noted that President Buhari has done well by suspending Kawu.
He noted that a series of meetings were held with Kawu to set up a timetable for the production of STBs yet action was not expediated on the resolution of the meeting.
‘’Two years now the whole digitization process has been stalled. The federal government must ensure that action is been expediated on DSO process. Two years is too long.
‘’Since the last launching in Enugu nothing significant has been done on DSO. Kawu earlier organise a bid but none of the companies meet up the requirement for the manufacturing of the STBs but efforts were made to still bring them on board.
‘’There is an urgent need for a well-planned schedule and time table of the digitization process. The federal government has done well by asking Kawu to step aside, however, there is a need for the federal government to push the digitization process with a strong political will.
‘’We have been running the company and paying our staff for two years now, yet nothing concrete has been done in the past two years. We are running at lost. We also collected loans from the bank and we are running at lost even though NBC guaranteed the loan.
‘’A total of one million boxes was produced in our Calabar factory but we are been owed instead. Nothing is forthcoming.
‘’Areon Technology of Korea, a STB manufacturing firm in partnership with Gospell agreed to produce several millions of boxes to boost the process but, yet nothing is been achieved.’’
The Koreans are threatening to take the federal government through NBC to court to recoup the money invested in the business which is about $24 Million Dollars.
Basically, after the switch from analogue to digital broadcasts is complete, analogue TVs will be incapable of receiving over-the-air broadcasts without the addition of a set-top converter box.
Consequently, a digital converter box – an electronic device that connects to an analogue television – must be used in order to receive digital broadcasts. In most climes, the government subsidizes the purchase of such boxes for their citizens.
Since 2008, it has not been an easy journey for Nigeria to lead the Digital Switch on for Terrestrial television. Several efforts were made to realise the migration without success.
Nigeria had to move the date from 2015 to June 2017. This is 2020, with the prevailing circumstances which have surrounded the digitization process, there is a need for more commitment on the part of the federal government and NBC to change the narratives.
