In recent times, issues relating to a switch over from analogue to digital broadcasting, popularly referred to as Digital Switch Over (DSO) has dominated discourse in the communication industry. The country had variously set a deadline of 2007, 2012 and 2015 for DSO across the country.
After the failure by past administrations to actualise the previous deadlines for the DSO, the current Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed on assumption of office made it a major programme of his ministry. Thus, a new deadline of June 2017 was set for the DSO in the country.
In pursuit of the deadline, the pilot switch over project was flagged off in Jos, Plateau State on April 30 last year and the subsequent switch on of Abuja. President Muhammadu Buhari, represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo last December commissioned the DSO project of Pinnacle Broadcast Limited, covering Abuja.
As the 2017 deadline drew close, Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mallam Is’haq Modibbo Kawu, announced that Nigeria would adopt phased implementation, beginning with six states, namely: Enugu in the Southeast; Kaduna in the Northwest; Gombe in the Northeast; Kwara in the North Central; Delta in the South-South and Osun in the Southwest.
However, all that is now history; as the June deadline had come and gone, yet none of the six states was switched on, meaning that the country had once again missed the DSO target as stipulated in agreement with the International Telecommunications Union (ITU). But that is not even the issue. The main issue is the alleged underhand dealings that have characterised the entire process, coupled with the negative image this could attract to Nigeria, especially in the eyes of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Simply put, the whole process, according to industry experts, is being bugged down to non-adherence to the Federal Government white paper on the DSO, owing to selfish and pecuniary interests. Arising from these alleged irregularities, the House of Representatives earlier in the year set up an ad-hoc committee to “investigate the process of Digital (broadcast) Switch Over in Nigeria.”
Last week Thursday, the report of the ad-hoc committee was considered in the Committee of the Whole and adopted. The committee headed by Hon Sunday Katung had among other things recommended the enactment of a new broadcast law and amendment of NBC Act to conform to present realities. The House also adopted the recommendation of the committee seeking an effective collaboration between the Ministry of Information and NBC on the digital switch over process, especially in developing the proposed National Media Content Policy for the digital television era.
Other recommendations of the ad-hoc committee, which were adopted by the House include:” that the Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) should be involved in the activities of Set Top Box (STB) manufacturers to ensure standard and avoid a situation where the country is turned into a dumping ground for substandard and obsolete equipment. “That the NBC should collaborate with Nigcomsat on the best way to use its facilities for the switch over to enable the country conserve foreign exchange.
“That the license issued Set Top Box manufacturers, who have failed or neglected to establish manufacturing plants to engage teeming unemployed youths and create other opportunities in pursuit of local content, should be withdrawn forthwith in accordance with the terms of license…
“That the ongoing phase/state implementation of the DSO strategy should be thoroughly supervised and monitored by the ministry; signal distributors must exhibit capacity to cover at least 80 per cent of an assigned state before being allocated or proceeding to another state …”
There is no doubt that the DSO holds much prospect for the country, especially in the area of job creation and value-chain addition. Apart from kick- starting the digital economy, the successful actualisation of the DSO would be a boost to government’s effort in diversifying the nation’s economy. We had been told of how the Federal Government will generate $1billion from sale of spectrum and ensure that the ongoing DSO process is self-funding. The government had said that the broadcasting industry and digital economy in the country will grow by $1 billion per annum through increased advertising, Nollywood income and value added services.
Minister of Information and Culture, who stated this at the 11th edition of International Conference of African Broadcasters (AFRICAST) in Abuja, October last year; with the theme; “Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting: Financing Quality Content,” had explained that digitisation will offer uncountable opportunities for jobs especially for young Nigerians who form the majority of the demographics in the broadcast industry and other ancillary industries.
Alhaji Mohammed had noted that the use of Set Top Boxes (STB) in about 24 million households will eliminate any form of piracy, and invariably rake in additional $250m annually for Nollywood. With these clear prospects, therefore, it is incumbent on the government to as a matter of urgency resolve all issues bugging down the DSO process transparently. Already, allegations of use of obsolete equipment by one of the signal distributors had been making the rounds. There were also speculations that key officials of the NBC; the regulatory body have vested interest in some of the 13 licensed Set Top Boxes manufacturing companies.
Moving forward, the government must ensure that the right equipment is deployed for the process and that the actors play strictly by the rules. In this regard, one must commend the House for seemingly taking the bull by the horn. However, methinks that beyond the recommendations, the House must swing into action by ensuring their full implementation, so that the country can begin to enjoy the benefits of the DSO. Anything that could be done to reflate the nation’s dwindling mono-product economy must be done with dispatch and religiously; in line with the economic diversification agenda of the All Progressives Congress (APC)-controlled Federal Government. As clearly captured by a communication expert, Moses Idika, in a recent article published by Daily Sun, “Nigerians are indeed tired of long tales from the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture regarding successful switch over and the wonders it would do to the nation’s economy.
“…What Nigerians need is action, after all, Nigeria has shifted the goal post for DSO in the broadcasting industry for about four times; 2007, 2012, 2015 and 2017. Even the June 2017 date was again missed recently.”
Point of Order…
The bid by Morocco to be admitted into the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) has been a cause for concern for many Nigerians. Not a few believe that Morocco membership of ECOWAS will have adverse effects on the socio-political and economic well-being of Nigeria. Stakeholders echoed this concern at a joint public hearing organised by the House of Representatives Committees on Foreign Affairs and Integration and Cooperation in Africa on the “Review of Nigeria’s continued membership of ECOWAS in view of the clamour to admit Morocco into the community.”
Although the Federal Government has seemingly not taken a definite position on the issue, it is obvious from the presentation of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geofrey Onyeama, who was at the public hearing, that the present administration is favourably disposed to the idea.
According to Onyema, contrary to opinion in certain quarters, Nigeria stands to benefit trade wise from Morocco’s admission into ECOWAS. However, as persuasive as the minister’s position may sound, the House must not discountenance the warning of the experts on the issue.
Before coming to a conclusion on the matter, one expects the lawmakers to shun politics and sentiment, and see that the interest of the country supercedes other considerations.