The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has firmly rejected recent concerns raised by the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), reaffirming that its planned Digital Switchover (DSO) strategy is consistent with the 2012 White Paper and international agreements.
In a detailed response dated May 26, 2026, the NBC pushed back against BON’s assertion that the planned satellite-based FreeTV platform violates the 2012 White Paper and international agreements governing Nigeria’s long-delayed migration from analogue to digital broadcasting.
The Commission insisted that its “Big Picture” strategy — which deploys direct-to-home satellite delivery alongside terrestrial transmission — is not only lawful but represents the only viable path to achieving universal coverage after nearly two decades of false starts and over N60 billion in expenditure.
The Core Dispute: Terrestrial vs Satellite
At the heart of the disagreement is a fundamental question of technical architecture. BON had argued that the GE06 Agreement — an international treaty coordinating frequency use — and the 2012 White Paper mandate “Digital Terrestrial Television exclusively,” making satellite broadcasting an unlawful component of the DSO.
The NBC rejected this interpretation outright, pointing to explicit provisions in the White Paper itself.
“Section 21.1(c) of the White Paper adopts the following technical standards: ‘DVB-T as the national standard for terrestrial digital television … DVB-S for satellite broadcasting is recommended broadcasting in Nigeria,'” the Commission wrote, quoting directly from page 18 of the foundational document.
The Commission further noted that the White Paper placed NigComSat’s satellite infrastructure “at the heart of the DSO, not outside it” — a design feature the current strategy faithfully implements by making satellite backhaul available to all licensed broadcasters on a commercial basis.
International Precedent
To bolster its position, the NBC invoked the examples of other nations that have completed similar transitions under the same international agreements.
The United Kingdom, the Commission noted, completed its digital switchover using a hybrid model that combined Freeview (terrestrial) and Freesat (satellite). Australia’s remote areas are served exclusively by the VAST satellite service. Morocco has completed over 90 per cent of its digital transition via satellite.
“Insisting on DTT-only delivery in 2026, when 5G is rolling out, streaming is ubiquitous, and satellite dishes cost less than a smartphone, is to wilfully ignore where the world has moved,” the Commission wrote.
FreeTV and the Conflict-of-Interest Question
BON had also raised concerns that NBC’s role in creating the FreeTV platform constitutes a conflict of interest contrary to the law establishing the Commission. NBC rejected this characterisation, describing itself instead as a “market facilitator” in the mould of the United Kingdom’s Ofcom, which helped create Freeview, and France’s CSA, which facilitated TNT.
“The NBC is not becoming a commercial content aggregator,” the letter clarified. “What the Commission is doing is creating a unified, open-access digital marketplace where broadcasters can distribute their content to viewers at no upfront cost for 18 months.”
The Commission also aimed at what it described as a small ecosystem that has benefited from the DSO’s failure over nearly two decades — “endless pilot phases, fragmented state rollouts, proprietary STB encryption and unmeasured audiences.”
The new approach removes encryption, opens the market to any compliant DVB-S2 decoder, and introduces the GARB audience measurement system — an innovation the Commission says addresses a historic deficiency identified in the 2012 White Paper itself.
“For nearly two decades, broadcasters have been unable to prove their audience reach to advertisers,” NBC wrote. “Advertisers have consequently under-invested in television.”
The Cost of Delay
With only eight states currently receiving digital signals and over 29 states still analogue, the Commission warned that further delay carries severe economic consequences.
The 700/800 MHz spectrum to be freed by the switchover — the “digital dividend” — is estimated to generate more than $1 billion in auction proceeds. Every year of delay, the NBC argued, costs Nigeria hundreds of millions in lost revenue.
The creative economy, now contributing approximately ₦5 trillion to GDP and employing over 4.2 million Nigerians, has been “starved of the distribution infrastructure it deserves,” the Commission said.
By contrast, the “Big Picture” strategy promises to unlock the ₦605.2 billion national advertising market, create over 100,000 direct and indirect jobs within three years, and establish six regional studios in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kano, and Benin — producing content in not only Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo but also Tiv, Fulfulde, Ijaw, Edo, Ibibio, Efik, Nupe and other Nigerian languages.
A History of Engagement
The Commission took pains to document extensive consultations with BON dating back to January 2024, including six formal engagements leading up to the April 2026 BON General Assembly, where the Director-General presented the “Big Picture” strategy in detail.
“These engagements conclusively refute any claim of unilateral action on the part of the Commission,” the letter stated.
The NBC noted that during a July 2025 mediation brokered by BON between the Commission and the Set-Top Box Manufacturers Association of Nigeria, STBMAN had agreed to withdraw its court case within two weeks — a commitment the Commission says has not been honoured.
What Broadcasters Are Being Offered
Despite the sharp tone, the NBC reiterated that BON remains “a critical stakeholder” and outlined the benefits available to broadcasters under the new platform:
– 18 months of zero carriage fees for qualifying broadcasters maintaining 60 per cent local content
– Verifiable audience measurement through the GARB system
– Access to over 100 national, regional and state channels
– A clear return-on-investment pathway through advertising revenue, followed by low-cost subscription tiers
What Comes Next
The Commission has committed to convening “a transparent technical and industry consultation session” with all relevant stakeholders before full implementation on June 17, 2026.
The Federal Government, through the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, has formally announced the national launch date, with the final analogue switch-off scheduled for December 31, 2028.
“The conversation must move from whether the DSO will happen to how broadcasters can best position themselves to benefit from it,” the Commission concluded.
