The Nigerian Government says it will begin the second phase of the Digital Switch Over (DSO) on Thursday in Lagos State, stressing that the project will empower more Nigerians and create millions of jobs.
Minister of Information, Alhaji Lai Mohammed disclosed this on Tuesday when he led a 13-Member Ministerial Task Force on the DSO project to an interactive session with the Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation.
“We are kick-starting the new roll out in Lagos State on Thursday April 29, while Kano on June 3, and Rivers on July 8. We will then follow up with Yobe state on July 15 and Gombe on Aug 12. To date, we have rolled out the DSO in five states and the FCT Abuja”, he said.
He said the DSO had gone live in the Federal Capital Territory, Kwara, Kaduna, Enugu and Osun States.
Priority project
Alhaji Mohammed explained that the ministry considers the DSO as one of its priority projects given its potential to create jobs, bring governance closer to the people through better access to information, provide quality programming to Nigeria’s estimated 24 million television households with high fidelity pictures and sound.
According to him, the manufacturing of Set Top Boxes or decoders alone was capable of creating 50,000 jobs, while television production could create 200,000 jobs.
“Film Production can generate 350 to 400,000 jobs. Distribution, which entails supplying the market with Set Top Boxes, TVs and Dongles for the internet, will require at least 100,000 wholesalers. Advertising can create a further 50,000 jobs”, he said.
Mohammed said the ministry had taken some steps to create the enabling environment for the DSO to succeed while developing the capacity of people involved in the entire value chain of the industry.
“The amendments were necessitated by the need to boost the local content in Nigeria, curb anti-competitive and monopolistic tendencies and boost advertising revenues.
“We have amended the code to curb monopoly and exclusivity of programme content in order to create room for the local industry to grow. The monopolies exclude many Nigerians from enjoying or having access to premium content especially in the area of sports and movies.
“With the amendment to the code, anyone owning any sports rights must make such available to other parties in Nigeria who may be interested in acquiring these rights.
“To stimulate growth and investment in the advertising sector, the code was further amended to the effect that all television and radio advertisements for airing on all broadcast platforms pertaining to products and services manufactured, grown, processed, developed, created and originating from Nigeria shall be wholly produced in Nigeria”, he added.
Reforms in the broadcasting and advertising sectors
According to him, bills to amend the National Broadcasting Commission Act and the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) Act have been proposed to concretise reforms in the broadcasting and advertising sectors.
The Minister therefore appealed to the Senators to fast-track deliberations on the bills seeking to amend the acts for legal backing.
Chairman of the Senate committee on Information and National orientation, Senator Danladi Sankara, assured the Minister and his team that the Senate will grant their request expeditiously in the interest of Nigerians.
Nneka Ukachukwu
