Speaking at the 81st General Assembly of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) in Abuja, NBC Director-General, Dr. Charles Ebuebu, acknowledged the challenges of past digitisation efforts. “Over N60 billion invested over 17 years only produced digital signals in eight states, leaving broadcasters without audience data or reliable revenue streams,” he said.
The new initiative aims to correct previous missteps. FreeTV is scheduled to launch on May 15, 2026, offering over 100 High Definition (HD) channels with full nationwide coverage and no encryption. Broadcasters that meet a 60 percent local content quota and actively promote the platform will benefit from 18 months of waived carriage fees.
To ensure transparency and accurate reporting, the NBC has partnered with GARB Bulgaria to deploy a state-of-the-art audience measurement system, already operational across Europe since 2006. This will, for the first time, provide verifiable viewership data for Nigerian broadcasters.
In a further boost to local content production, the NBC announced the establishment of six regional production studios in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kano, and Benin. These facilities are expected to create thousands of jobs while supplying authentic Nigerian programming to the national lineup.
Ebuebu reaffirmed the government’s commitment to the digital switchover, confirming that full analogue switch-off is set for December 31, 2028. He emphasized collaboration: “Partnership is not optional participation but co-ownership of the future. We faced these challenges together. Now we will fix it together.”
Digital Switchover (DSO), also known as Analogue Switch-Off (ASO), is the global process of replacing analogue terrestrial television broadcasting with digital terrestrial television (DTT). The shift brings a host of benefits, including superior picture and sound quality, support for HD and UHD channels, lower operational costs, and the ability to free up spectrum for mobile broadband and other services. Digital signals are also more resilient, offer interactive features such as Electronic Programme Guides (EPGs), and improve reception on portable and mobile devices.
Globally, many countries completed their transitions years ago: the United States ended full-power analogue broadcasts in 2009, the United Kingdom by 2012, and most European and Asian countries followed in the 2010s. Several African nations, however, have faced delays due to funding, infrastructure, and awareness challenges.
Nigeria’s digital journey began between 2006 and 2012 with pilot projects in Jos, Abuja, Kaduna, and Kwara, but the country missed the ITU-inspired 2015 deadline due to funding shortages and technical limitations. Under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the project has now been revitalized.
The NBC is working closely with the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) to implement a hybrid terrestrial-satellite model, ensuring that even remote areas have access to the new digital service. The transition promises not only more channels and improved viewing quality but also economic growth through local content production and enhanced telecommunications opportunities.
With FreeTV, Nigeria aims to finally complete its long-awaited digital switchover, bringing the nation in line with global broadcasting standards while expanding access to information, entertainment, and cultural content for all citizens.