FG launches Digital Switch Over in Kano, deploys 500,000 decoders

The Minister for Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Muhammad, on Tuesday, launched Digital Switch Over (DSO) in Kano while announcing that 500,000 units of decoders have been deployed to the state for the commencement of the switchover from analogue TV to digital TV in the state.

This was just as the Kano governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, disclosed that the state government will purchase and distribute additional 100,000 units of the decoders.

Ganduje noted that 10,000 out of the units will be shared to ministries, departments and agencies as well as Primary Healthcare Centers and Local Government Councils in the state.

The minister who delivered a speech at the ceremony said: “I am reliably informed that the NBC has also conducted awareness training to the DSOs for Information Officers in the NOA (Nigerian Orientation Agency), and about 500,000 decoders have been deployed to Kano.

“This is because the provision of Set-Top-Boxes is a social service that will take governance to the grassroots and bridge the information gap between the government and the governed, among other advantages. For Kano State in particular, with a population of over 15 million people, governance will be revolutionized if each of the 2.4 million television households can have a Set-Top-Box.”

The minister also added that though the journey which started in 2006 in Jos had been slow but steady, the whole country will soon switch over to Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) broadcasting.

“Let me also say that no meaningful DSO project can happen unless Set-Top-Boxes or decoders are widely available and affordable, and some channels catering for children’s programmes, sports and religion are encouraged to thrive.

“Those channels are also critical to the success of the DSO because they have the potential to attract many eyeballs to the DSO platform. Still talking about Set-Top-Boxes, affordability is a key factor in making digital television available to all. Indeed, Set-Top-Boxes represent the very minimum entry point in the world of digital television broadcasting,” he said.

Alhaji Mohammed noted that this is based on a deadline of June 15, 2015, agreed by signatory countries in Geneva by the International Telecommunications Union which had to be reviewed by the various countries including Nigeria due to the enormity of the phenomenon.

He said: “The decision to transition from analogue to digital television followed a treaty that was signed at the Regional Radio Communication Conference (RRC-06) in Geneva, Switzerland, on June 16, 2016, to usher in ‘all-digital’ terrestrial broadcast services for sound and television.

“This is aimed at creating a more equitable, just and people-centred Information Society, which would connect underserved populations and remote communities, thereby bridging the digital divide.”

The Federal Government is also putting in place an Industry Framework that will ensure that content producers receive their just due for the value of the content they create, as well as provide objective guarantees to the advertising community with regards to Return-On-Investment on media placements

Meanwhile, Governor Ganduje said “the movement from analogue presently in place to the digital system will go a long way in enhancing, educating and information development to the general public.

He announced the analogue system will be completely closed down in Kano State from December 2021.

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