The Federal Government aims to deliver free television access to at least 40 million households across Nigeria through its revamped digital switch-over programme. Charles Ebuebu, director-general of the National Broadcasting Commission, revealed the ambitious target during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Wednesday in Abuja.
The renewed initiative marks a sharp departure from the earlier terrestrial transmission approach. Instead, it now relies on satellite technology to achieve nationwide coverage from day one, Ebuebu explained.
"We are gunning for 40 million TV households. That's what we're targeting," he said.
The previous DSO model, launched across eight states, managed to transmit between 24 and 28 channels depending on the location. The satellite-based platform is already broadcasting more than 73 channels nationwide and expects to reach 100 channels within months.
The shift to satellite came after the terrestrial model revealed serious limitations. Despite heavy investment, the original approach covered less than a quarter of Nigeria's territory after launching in eight states.
Building nationwide terrestrial coverage would have demanded approximately 160 transmission towers, imported equipment and several years of construction work, Ebuebu noted. "We therefore decided to go by satellite, which covers Nigeria completely from day one," he stated.
The NBC continues serving as the sector's regulator while the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited, NIGCOMSAT, provides the satellite infrastructure and ground services for the project.
Viewers can now access television channels from different regions of the country regardless of where they live. This setup strengthens national integration and widens access to information across communities, according to Ebuebu.
The satellite-based approach offers multiple advantages over its predecessor. It delivers superior picture quality, wider geographic reach and greater channel capacity, he added.
