The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said that the Digital Switch Over (DSO) process was now on cruise control, following the roll-out of digital television in two states within 48 hours.

Speaking at the launch of the DSO in Kaduna on Friday, the Minister said the that roll-out in Kaduna, coming two days after that of Kwara State, has confirmed that the transition from analogue to digital television was now back on track.

Until the digital television rollout resumed with the Kwara launch on Wednesday, the last DSO launch was in Abuja in December 2016, but the Minister said the rollout will now continue apace.

“Within the next few weeks, we will be rolling out in many more states as we seek to take the digital television experience to all the six geo-political zones. We now have our two Signal Distributors in full operation mode and our aggregation platform for channels. FreeTV is fast becoming a household name, our Set-Top-Box suppliers have started local production and we now have almost a million boxes supplied into the value chain,” he said.

Mohammed congratulated the Signal Distributor for Kaduna State, Pinnacle Communications saying it had achieved another milestone in the rebuilding of the nation’s television story.

He also commended all the stakeholders who worked round the clock to ensure the success of the transition from analogue to digital television across the country.

“The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the Signal Distributors, the Set Top Box manufacturers, Digiteam Nigeria and indeed all stakeholders are pulling all the stops to ensure that the DSO train continues unimpeded on its journey across the country. Thank you all,” the Minister acknowledged.

He said with the resumption of the DSO process, the focus would now shift to content production that would help to bolster the economy.

“By content here, I refer to TV shows, sitcoms, documentaries, music videos, drama series, talent and reality shows etc. The challenge before us is to ensure that this becomes a profitable industry for our creative talent, entrepreneurs, advertising agencies, TV channels and Digital distributors,” Alhaji Mohammed said.

The launch was witnessed by dignitaries including the Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai; his Deputy, Arch. Bala Bantex; Chairman, Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation, Senator Suleiman Adokwe; Deputy Chairman of the House Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values, Hon. Lawal Anka; as well as NBC Directors-General; and that of the Nigeria Television Authority, Mallam Is'haq Modibbo Kawu and Mallam Yakubu Ibn Mohammed respectively.

•Photo shows Chairman of Pinnacle Communications Limited, Sir Lucky Omoluwa; Kaduna State Governor, Mallam Nasir El-Rufai; Deputy Chairman House Committee on Information, National Orientation, Ethics and Values, Dr. Lawal Hassan Anka and Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, at the official launch of the Digital Switch Over in Kaduna on Friday.

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