Nigeria now expects to complete the transition to digital broadcasting in January 2015, having previously missed an ASO deadline of June 2012.
In a wide-ranging presentation about the digitisation process and TV industry in general, Mutjaba Saba, director of broadcast policy, National Broadcasting Commission of Nigeria, said that the country currently has 267 broadcast stations.
The term encompasses radio, TV and DTH services and includes 109 terrestrial TV stations.
There are a total of 34,158,887 households, of which 11.2 million own TV sets.
Telecoms are regulated separately from the broadcast sector and the NBC, which was established 19 years ago, engages with key stakeholders including content producers, cable, MMDS and DTH operators.
Saba added that the Nigerian government first demonstrated the political will to digitise in 2007.
A DVB-T2 pilot was commissioned in 2010 and is currently operating in 20 cities.
Meanwhile, MMDS, DVB-C and DSB services in the country are all digital and there are DVB-H and DVB-T mobile (GoTV) services already in operation, also in 20 cities.
Saba also said there is a lot of interest in partnering up with other West African countries.
Nigeria has already decided to use the DVB-T2 standard and to use STBs manufactured locally.
In addition, the government has approved three signal distributors.
There is a also a desire by broadcasters to standardise local content in order to help the industry develop.
