Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) has said that paucity of fund has slowed Nigeria’s digital migration, barely two months left for the country to transit from analogue to digital broadcast.
BON Chairman, Mr Shola Omole, has said that Nigeria has not achieved up to 10 per cent digitalization of its broadcast industry with just two months to the expiration of the deadline of June 17, set by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) for all countries under it to transit from analogue to digital broadcast.
Omole, made this known while addressing a press conference in Abuja to announce a two day International Digital Broadcasting Summit to be held on May 6 and 7, stressing that the ITU would neither penalize the country nor shut it out of broadcasting even as it was becoming clearer that the country would not meet the deadline.
Omole explained that since many other African countries had not achieved the digital switch over, Nigeria’s inability to do so would not constitute any problem to our neighbouring countries.
Speaking on the summit, the BON chairman, who is also the Director General of NTA, said the 2-day industry summit will provide broadcasters and other industry stakeholders in Nigeria with vital information and industry knowledge on the opportunities and challenges in the evolving digital age.
On his part, Executive Secretary of BON, Mr Segun Olaleye, said Nigeria would have to phase out analogue gradually through multicasting.
Speaking in the same vein after the press briefing, the Director General of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) Emeka Mba, said it was doubtful if Nigeria would switch over by June 17, as lack of funds and none availability of set top boxes have inhibited the switch over project.
Mba explained that the devices’ manufacturers needed incentive from government before they could start production but they have got nothing as NBC was not buoyant enough to give them.
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