Nigeria to earn $1bn from Digital Switch Over

Nigeria’s Information and Culture Minister Lai Mohammed has said the Federal Government will make over $1 billion from the sale of spectrum after completion of the Digital Switch Over (DSO).

The DSO is the process of transiting from analogue to digital terrestrial broadcasting and the country has set April 29 for the resumption of the roll out of the second phase in the remaining 31 states.

The first phase of the roll out had covered the Federal Capital Territory and the five states of Plateau, Kaduna, Kwara, Osun and Enugu.

Mohammed said when the process is completed and there is Analogue Switch Off (ASO), the spectrum band to be vacated by broadcasters would be ceded to the telecom regulatory agency for sale and use in the mobile broadband industries.

“The good side is that when there is analogue switch off, we will be able to sell to telecommunication companies the spectrum band that all of them were occupying which is worth over one billion dollars,” he said

Mohammed, who said the DSO would change the entire creative industry ecosystem, pledged that government would ensure its successful completion.

He reiterated that the DSO project is capable of creating one million jobs in three years and generate huge revenue for the country.

According to him, with the approval of N9.4 billion by the Federal Government and the setting up of a 14-member ministerial task force to drive the process, the remaining 31 states will be successfully covered.
He promised that the reduction in government involvement in the DSO ecosystem and  the opportunity given to the private sector to take the lead, on purely commercial terms, would not hamper the process.

The minister said government was already addressing the concerns raised by the Set-Top Box manufacturers on access to foreign exchange.
“Set top boxes which is the decoder to transmit digital signal to homes is a critical component in the DSO process
“We are pushing for the manufacturers for government to reduce to zero per cent duties payable to completely knock down products and reduce from 10 per cent to five per cent duties payable on semi knock down products.

NAN/Hauwa Abu