The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on Tuesday inaugurated a 13-member ministerial task force to drive the Digital Switch Over process in the broadcasting sector.
Mohammed inaugurated the task force in Abuja at a press briefing tagged ‘Delivering a successful Digital Switch Over in broadcasting’.
The minister himself is chairing the task force that has critical stakeholders in the industry as members.
He said the recent decision of the Federal Executive Council to approve the release of the outstanding payments of N9.4bn to key stakeholders had removed what had constituted a roadblock to the entire process in the past three years.
Mohammed said, “With the payment approval by FEC, and with 31 states to cover, we have our work cut out for us.
“We have no more excuses for not rapidly rolling out the DSO across the country, hence my decision to set up a 13-member Ministerial Task Force, which I will personally chair, to take charge of the rollout.”
He listed members of the task force and the organisations they represent as Prof. Armstrong Idachaba (National Broadcasting Commission); Edward Amana (Digiteam); Tunde Adegbola (Digiteam); Sa’a Ibrahim (Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria); Sadeeq Musa (ITS); and Godfrey Ohuabunwa (Set-Top-Box Manufacturers); who is also standing in for the BON Chair.
Others are Lekan Fadolapo (APCON); Aisha Omar (Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning); J. O. Attah (Nigeria Customs Service); Nnanna Ibom (Ministry of Information and Culture); Olusegun Yakubu (Pinnacle Communications); and Joe Mutah (Ministry of Information and Culture) who will serve as secretary.
Mohammed said the decision to set up the task force to drive the DSO process was hinged on the fact that a successful DSO was a massive job creator and a huge revenue generator.
The minister said the process was capable of creating over one million jobs over the next three years.
As part of government’s efforts to maximise the opportunities available in the process, he said necessary changes had been made in the Broadcast Code to protect local jobs and production.
He added that the process of introducing world class audience measurement and media monitoring to deliver on potential $1bn TV and online advertising revenue market had started.
“The DSO process is capable of delivering over one million jobs. These are not phantom jobs. They are real jobs,” the minister said.
He then listed the jobs to be created to include between 40,000 and 50,000 jobs in manufacturing of Set-Top-Boxes; 200,000 jobs in TV production; between 350,000 and 400,000 jobs in film production; about 100,000 jobs in the distribution of the boxes; and about 50,000 jobs in TV and online advertising among others.
Source: Punch
