More than 50 skilled technicians from states across Nigeria’s South-West gathered in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Friday for a technical and sensitization training program aimed at preparing set-top box installers and reception equipment technicians for the country’s digital television transition.
The training, organised by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) in collaboration with the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), is part of efforts to ensure a seamless, efficient and error-free implementation of Nigeria’s digital broadcasting migration.
Nigeria’s transition to digital terrestrial television has been underway for nearly two decades. The country adopted the digital switchover policy in 2008 following the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU) 2006 directive, which required member states to complete the transition by June 2015.
However, the process suffered repeated delays due to funding shortages, policy inconsistencies, infrastructure limitations and logistical challenges. Although pilot projects were launched in Plateau, Lagos, Kano, Enugu, Kwara, Osun, Kaduna and the Federal Capital Territory, nationwide implementation remained out of reach.
Following more than N60 billion in public investment with limited progress, the Federal Government introduced a renewed strategy known as The Big Picture on June 17, 2026, setting December 31, 2028, as the deadline for the complete switch-off of analogue broadcasting.
The new strategy adopts a hybrid broadcasting model that combines Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT), Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite broadcasting through NIGCOMSAT-1R and Internet Protocol (IP)-based content distribution.
By expanding the use of Nigeria’s satellite infrastructure, the government aims to reduce reliance on costly terrestrial transmission networks, accelerate digital television deployment by more than 65 per cent and achieve near-instant nationwide coverage.
Speaking at the training, the Head of the Digital Switchover (DSO) Unit and Deputy Director of Public Affairs at the NBC, Mrs Clementine Usman-Wamba, described the Ibadan programme as the first in a series of technical training sessions to be held across the country’s geopolitical zones.
She said participants are being trained in satellite dish alignment for DTH services, terrestrial antenna optimisation for DTT reception and the installation and configuration of hybrid reception devices to support the new broadcasting ecosystem.
According to her, the training is critical to reducing installation errors, minimising service interruptions and ensuring households, particularly in rural and underserved communities, can access reliable, high-quality digital television services.
The government’s FreeTV platform, powered by the open-standard DVB-S2 satellite technology, is expected to provide up to 100 free-to-air high-definition television channels to an estimated 40 million households across Nigeria.
For terrestrial broadcasting, Nigeria has adopted the advanced DVB-T2 transmission standard with MPEG-4 AVC compression, enabling broadcasters to transmit up to 20 television channels on a single frequency, significantly improving spectrum efficiency over previous systems.