Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON) has said that, Nigeria has not achieved up to 10 % digitalization of its broadcast industry, owing largely to lack of funds.
This is just just two months to the expiration of the deadline as the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) had set June 17 this year for all countries under it to transit from analogue to digital broadcast.
Mr Shola Omole, BON chairman, said the ITU would neither penalize the country nor shut it out of broadcasting even as it was becoming clearer that the country would not meet the deadline.
He was addressing a press conference in Abuja yesterday to announce a two day International Digital Broadcasting Summit to be held on May 6 and 7.
Omole said since many other African countries had not achieved the digital switch over, Nigeria’s inability to do so would not constitute any problem to our neighboring countries.
Speaking in an interview after the press briefing, Emeka Mba, director general of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) said it was doubtful if Nigeria would switch over by June 17.
He said lack of funds inhibited the switch over project as set top boxes are not available yet.
He said the devices’ manufacturers needed incentive from government before they could start production but they have got nothing as NBC was not buoyant enough to give them.
Mr Segun Olaleye, executive secretary of BON, said Nigeria would have to phase out analogue gradually through multicasting.
Speaking on the summit, the BON chairman, who is also the DG of NTA, said the 2-day industry summit will provide broadcasters as well as other industry stakeholders in Nigeria with crucial information and industry knowledge on the opportunities and challenges in the evolving digital age.