NBC Begins Training of Set-Top Box Installers to Fast-Track Nigeria’s Digital TV Migration

The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) will on Friday commence a major technical and sensitisation training programme for installers of set-top boxes and digital television reception equipment as part of renewed efforts to accelerate Nigeria’s long-delayed Digital Switchover (DSO) project.

The training, scheduled to hold at the commission’s Ibadan zonal office, will bring together more than 50 technicians and installers from states across the South-West geopolitical zone.

Head of the DSO Unit and Deputy Director of Public Affairs at the NBC, Mrs. Clementine Usman-Wamba, said the exercise is the first in a nationwide series of capacity-building programmes aimed at ensuring the seamless deployment and operation of the country’s new digital television broadcasting system.

She explained that the initiative is designed to equip installers with the technical expertise required to support the successful implementation of Nigeria’s renewed digital migration strategy and minimise installation errors that could affect consumers.

Nigeria’s transition from analogue to digital terrestrial television has spanned nearly two decades. The country adopted the migration policy in 2008 following the International Telecommunication Union’s 2006 directive requiring member states to complete the switch by June 2015.

However, the country failed to meet the 2015 deadline and subsequent targets in 2017 due to funding constraints, policy inconsistencies, infrastructure challenges and logistical setbacks, despite pilot rollouts in Plateau, Lagos, Kano, Enugu, Kwara, Osun, Kaduna and the Federal Capital Territory.

Following several unsuccessful attempts and public expenditure estimated at over ₦60 billion, the Federal Government, through the NBC and the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT), unveiled a new implementation strategy in 2025 under the initiative tagged “The Big Picture.” The programme was officially launched nationwide on June 17, 2026, with the final analogue switch-off scheduled for December 31, 2028.

The new strategy introduces a hybrid broadcasting architecture that combines Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT), Direct-to-Home (DTH) satellite broadcasting through NIGCOMSAT-1R and Internet Protocol (IP)-based content distribution.

According to the NBC, the satellite-first model is expected to reduce reliance on expensive terrestrial transmission infrastructure, accelerate nationwide digital television rollout by more than 65 per cent and provide near-instant national coverage.

Under the FreeTV platform, built on the DVB-S2 open standard, Nigerians are expected to have access to as many as 100 free-to-air digital television channels with improved picture and sound quality across an estimated 40 million television households.

For terrestrial broadcasting, the country has adopted the DVB-T2 transmission standard with MPEG-4 AVC compression, enabling up to 20 television channels to be carried on a single frequency, significantly improving spectrum efficiency over the previous DVB-T1 technology.

Consumers will be able to receive digital broadcasts using DVB-S2-compatible set-top boxes, currently available between ₦15,000 and ₦25,000, or smart television sets equipped with certified DVB-T2 digital tuners.

The commission noted that the Ibadan training has become necessary because installers must now possess skills in terrestrial antenna alignment, satellite dish installation and configuration, as well as the activation of hybrid reception devices capable of supporting both DTT and DTH services.

It added that the sensitisation programme is expected to reduce installation errors, minimise service disruptions and ensure that households, particularly those in rural and underserved communities, can access digital television services without difficulty.

Beyond improving television broadcasting, the DSO project is also expected to generate significant economic benefits. The release of broadcast spectrum, commonly referred to as the “digital dividend,” will create additional capacity for broadband and telecommunications services, while the advertising industry is projected to expand by as much as ₦605.2 billion.

The initiative is also expected to stimulate local manufacturing of digital reception equipment and create more than 20,000 jobs.

Mrs. Usman-Wamba said the Ibadan exercise marks the beginning of similar training programmes planned across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones as the commission intensifies preparations for the nationwide analogue switch-off in December 2028.

She stressed that building the technical capacity of installers remains crucial to achieving the government’s objective of delivering universal, affordable and high-quality digital television services to Nigerians.