Yemisi Izuora
The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, has
pledged a continuous and rapid rollout of digital television across
the country, in order to ensure that Nigerians benefit from the
immense benefits of the Digital Switch Over (DSO).
The Minister spoke in Ilorin at the launch of the DSO in
Ilorin, Kwara State.
”We cannot afford to drop the ball as we continue our journey from
analogue to digital television, because the benefits to our people are
huge. Yes, this process has not been without hiccups. But like the
saying goes, you will never reach your destination if you stop to
throw stones at every dog that barks,” he said.
Alhaji Mohammed said the DSO is not just to move customers and
Nigerians from analogue to digital in a simple technical sense, but to
transform the whole TV watching experience.
”In doing this, we are ensuring access to information for all
citizens, a key ingredient of democracy, and also
ensuring the economic empowerment of all participants in the industry
while providing a level playing field for Nigerian companies and
entrepreneurs to build viable businesses,” he said.
The Minister implored the Integrated Television Services (ITS), the
Signal Distributor for Kwara State, to rapidly extend the digital
television experience beyond Ilorin and its environs, ”so that the
good people of Kwara can reap the digital benefits. Our people deserve
no less”.
He said the key benefits of the DSO programme, which will help to
achieve a credible and effective development of the digital economy,
include the availability of over 30 digital channels to Nigerians
without monthly subscription; the creation of tens of thousands of
jobs through technical and manufacturing opportunities, especially the
local production of Set-Top-Boxes or decoders.
Alhaji Mohammed also said the DSO will catalyze the growth of the TV
advertising market by $400m per annum through audience measurement,
and also create a 100 Billion Naira per annum FreeTV distribution
network for Nollywood, among others.
Dignitaries at the occasion include the Kwara State Commissioner for
Information, Alhaji Mahmud Babatunde Ajeigbe, who stood in for the
State Governor; the Directors-General of the National Broadcasting
Commission (NBC), Mallam Is’haq Modibbo Kawu; and the NTA, Mallam
Yakubu Ibn Mohammed and the Chairman of Digiteam, Mr. Edward Amana.