FG sets December 2028 for final analogue TV switch-off

The Federal Government has set December 2028 as the deadline for the complete transition from analogue to digital television broadcasting in Nigeria.

The Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Charles Ebuebu, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

Ebuebu explained that the December 2028 target represents the final analogue switch-off in the country.

“We put a timeline for analogue switch-off. Before that time, a lot of things will be put in place. This is just phase one,” he said.

He noted that subsequent phases of the transition would include paid television services, studio infrastructure development, and the establishment of designated production centres for content creators.

The NBC boss also revealed that audience measurement efforts are underway, with a proof of concept already completed in about 7,000 homes in Lagos, while implementation has commenced in Abuja.

According to him, the commission will unveil detailed phases after consultations with key stakeholders, including the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria, to ensure their support and participation.

Ebuebu said the analogue switch-off would release valuable spectrum for other uses, describing it as a strategic national asset.

He added that the spectrum would be professionally evaluated before being allocated to potential users such as telecommunications firms, application developers, and financial services companies.

“I won’t put a sum to it, but it is valued at upwards of about 50 billion dollars. Consultants will determine its actual value before allocation,” he said.

Speaking on obsolete broadcasting equipment, Ebuebu stated that the commission is working on a policy guided by expert advice and global best practices.

He explained that the Digital Switch Over white paper mandates broadcasters to separate content production from transmission, with transmission responsibilities handled by signal distributors such as NIGCOMSAT.

According to him, outdated analogue equipment may be repurposed where feasible, while the government may take over unusable assets to prevent environmental hazards associated with industrial waste.