Nigeria’s National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has announced plans to split the government-owned Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) into two independent parts as directed by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) towards achieving digital migration.
The split was announced by NBC director general Emeka Mba, who said plans are underway for the NTA to set up a new transmission company to be licensed by the NBC.
He said the process is expected to be completed in June, to be followed by a pilot scheme in Jos, Plateau state.
The new transmission company, he said, will be based on a public private partnership (PPP), and he called on stakeholders to support the digital migration initiative.
“Many state governments are still placing orders for analogue transmitters. State governments have not made commitments to digitisation. Stakeholders should look at the dangers of switching over without the enabling law in a country yet to distinguish between politics and governance,” he said.
Nineteen companies have already submitted Expression of Interest (EoI) forms, while nine have been prequalified.
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