Nigeria’s Information Minister, Mohammed Idris pledged the commitment of the Nigerian government to The Digital switchover, DSO, in Nigeria’s broadcasting industry.
The Minister was speaking during the 78th General Assembly and 22nd Annual General Meeting of the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, BON, held in the Nigerian capital, Abuja.
Idris pledged to work with the Nigeria Broadcasting Commission and relevant stakeholders to speed up the process of the digital switchover from analog in Nigeria’s broadcast industry, which he notes has dragged for too long.
“I will be the first probably to admit that the DSO has not quite gone as planned,” the Minister told the gathering in Abuja.
Since the phased rollout of the DSO began in 2018, only about eight out of Nigeria’s thirty-six states have been partially covered. The states include Lagos, Kano, Rivers, Kwara, Enugu, Osun, Plateau and the Federal Captain Territory, Abuja.
“It is quite unfortunate that as a country, we have achieved only minimal progress in this all-important and inevitable migration,” the Minister noted in his address at the BON meeting in Abuja, adding the matter will be treated with the urgency it deserves.
Idris said; “I want to seize this opportunity to say unequivocally that the DSO must work and that the President Bola Ahmed Administration is fully committed to its success.”
Navigating Nigeria’s Broadcast Media Landscape
The theme of this year’s BON General Assembly and Annual General Meeting was “Broadcast Media in Quagmire: What are the options?”
The theme highlighted the current challenges faced by the broadcast media industry. With the advent of digital transformation, changing audience preferences, and regulatory policies, as well as hard economic times, the industry finds itself in a quagmire.
The meeting aimed to explore viable options to navigate these challenges. Key issues discussed included digital transformation, content creation, and regulatory policies. The discussions were marked by a commitment from all attendees to work towards a vibrant and dynamic broadcasting industry.
The meeting brought together key stakeholders from across the country, including broadcasters, content creators, and regulatory authorities. It served as a platform for robust discussions on the challenges facing the broadcast media industry and potential solutions.
Dominica Nwabufo
