Nigeria has set 31 December 2028 for the final Digital Swtich Over across the country.
This is as it set 17 June 2026 date for the national launch of the country’s switch over from analogue broadcasting to digital under what has been tagged the “Big Picture” approach.
The National Broadcasting Commission is to also convene a stakeholder meeting within 30 days of the June 17 launch to finalise the implementation.
The Director General, National Broadcasting Commission, Mr Charles Ebuebu who disclosed this while briefing journalists explained that the new approach involves the Nigerian Communication Satellite Limited (NigComSat).
“The Commission’s current “Big Picture” approach, with a national launch targeted for 17 June 2026 and final analogue switch-off set for 31 December 2028, reflects that more mature reality,” Ebuebu said.
The programme had suffered series of set backs under the last two administrations since 2015 and to correct this, Ebuebu said: “The National Broadcasting Commission has now chosen to confront that fact directly. The “Big Picture” strategy is not a rhetorical flourish. It is an attempt to move the country beyond an exhausted terrestrial-only model and toward a converged broadcasting architecture that reflects Nigeria’s geography, market structure and economic constraints. In practical terms, it recognises that digital transition cannot be achieved by nostalgia. It must be achieved by design.
“That is why NigComSat sits at the heart of the revised approach. It also places NigComSat’s satellite resources within the national distribution architecture on a commercial basis, not as a closed monopoly for any single distributor.”
He said this approach is in line with the 2912 White Paper, which expressly adopts “convergence” as a policy principle and recommends DVB-T for terrestrial television while also recognising DVB-S and the transition to DVB-S2 for satellite broadcasting.
While citing yhe United Kingdom and other countries that combined terrestrial and satellite delivery, NBC boss stressed that “ no serious digital transition in a large and complex country has relied on a single delivery mode alone.”
He therefore pointed out that the main issue is for the country to follow the practical demands of coverage, affordability and scalability.
He added: “The basic FreeTV model does not require monthly subscription charges for baseline access. Open-standard satellite receiving equipment is already widely available in Nigerian markets at prices far below the inflated figures sometimes quoted in public debate.
“The Commission is also pursuing targeted support options for low-income households through subsidy discussions, voucher schemes and financing arrangements. The point is not to transfer the cost of transition onto the poorest citizens. The point is to make digital access more widely available than the analogue status quo has ever allowed.”
On the issue of set top boxes, Ebuebu said “The Commission has already indicated that the pending litigation with local manufacturers does not amount to a blanket injunction stopping national implementation and it has stressed that local manufacturing remains a priority. That is the right position. Nigeria will need tens of millions of receiving devices over several years.”
He also noted that the latest project put into consideration the issue of audience measurement, saying that the “Big Picture” has a singular aim of producing verifiable audience data that advertisers can trust and broadcasters can monetise.
He also said the role of the commission would be to build a national market framework and set the standards under which broadcasters can distribute content on fair and open terms.
To this, he said the Commission will engage engage with stakeholders to ensure the success of the DSO.
He further noted that further delay is no longer neutral, stressing that the “Big Picture” may not be the most perfect answer but it is the most realistic one on the table.
“ It recognises that DTT alone has not delivered universal access. It acknowledges that satellite is not a luxury but a coverage solution. It confronts the reality that audience measurement, market confidence and commercial sustainability are inseparable. And it places consultation where it belongs, as a necessary part of implementation, not as a veto over national policy,” he said.
On the economic gain of DSO ecosystem, Ebuebu said “The DSO will unlock the N605.2 billion national advertising market through verifiable audience measurement, generating new revenue streams for broadcasters and content creators.
“ The freed digital dividend spectrum (700/800 MHz) is estimated to be worth over $1 billion in auction proceeds, which will be reinvested into digital infrastructure and rural broadband. The creative economy, already contributing approximately N5 trillion to GDP and employing over 4.2 million Nigerians, will gain a modern distribution spine, enabling content export across West Africa via NigComSat-1R. Every naira invested in local content is expected to generate a 2.5x economic multiplier effect (UNESCO/Deloitte benchmark).
He noted that broadcasters will finally have access to verifiable audience data through the GARB system, allowing them to command fair advertising rates based on actual viewership. The 18-month free window eliminates upfront distribution costs. The platform carriage offers nationwide reach across all 36 states, including remote communities that terrestrial signals have never served. The six regional studios will produce content in multiple indigenous languages, creating new programming opportunities and audiences.
For the set-top box manufacturers, he said the transition will create demand for tens of millions of receiving devices over several years, providing a substantial market for local assembly, component sourcing and after-sales support.”
The Commission he also said prioritises local manufacturing and assembly partnerships, in line with the President’s “Nigeria First” policy. Manufacturers who embrace open standards and competitive quality will find a guaranteed, expanding market.
The gains for to ordinary Nigerians, Ebuebu said no Nigerian will be left behind in the digital age as the FreeTV service carries no monthly subscription, while wiewers will enjoy over 100 channels in crisp digital quality, including dedicated language channels (Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Tiv, Fulfulde, Ijaw, Edo, Ibibio, Efik, Nupe and more).
He therfore urged all stakeholders to join hands with the Commission in ensuring the success of the initiative.
