By Jane Okafor, Abuja
The Federal Government has announced the launch of FreeTV, a new national digital television platform designed to provide Nigerians with free access to more than 100 television channels without monthly subscription fees.
The platform forms part of Nigeria’s ongoing Digital Switch-Over (DSO) programme aimed at expanding access to digital broadcasting services nationwide.
The government said FreeTV will offer a broad range of content, including news, sports, movies, music, children’s programmes, educational content, and dedicated indigenous language channels in Yoruba, Hausa and Igbo.
The service will be available through satellite and terrestrial transmission, as well as via the FreeTV mobile application, allowing users in both urban and rural communities to access digital television services.
The government stated that Nigerians would not need to purchase new television sets to use the platform, provided they already own compatible DVB-T2 or DVB-S2 decoders. It added that households with compatible free-to-air decoders may not require additional equipment.
Speaking ahead of the launch, the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mr Charles Ebuebu, described the initiative as a major step towards improving access to digital content while creating opportunities for local creatives and media professionals.
“FreeTV speaks directly to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of Renewed Hope towards expanding access, creating opportunity and ensuring that every Nigerian, regardless of location or income, can benefit from the digital economy,” Ebuebu said.
“With FreeTV, families across Nigeria can enjoy quality digital television without a monthly subscription, while our local content producers, technicians and young creatives gain new platforms and new jobs,” he added.
Ebuebu further disclosed that the platform would support Nigeria’s creative industry through regional production studios located in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kano and Benin.
According to the NBC, the studios are expected to create employment opportunities for content creators, editors, camera operators, sound engineers, technicians and other professionals within the broadcast industry value chain.
Earlier in May, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, had disclosed that the Federal Government would officially launch the nationwide digital switchover platform on June 17 with over 100 free television channels for Nigerians.
The minister made the disclosure during a facility tour of the headquarters of Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NigComSat) in Abuja.
Idris said the long-delayed transition from analogue to digital broadcasting had finally been completed after years of failed attempts and postponements.
“The promise that President Bola Tinubu made that he is going to reform all sectors. We are seeing this reform in action in the broadcast industry,” he said.
“You recall that for many years, Nigerians have been grappling with this idea of the DSO, the digital switchover.
“In other words, removing our transmissions from analogue to digital. Now this has happened, and it is ready to be commissioned by the 17th of June this year.”
The minister said the new platform would transform broadcasting, advertising and television viewership across Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa.
According to him, the platform introduces audience measurement technology capable of tracking viewing patterns in real time to help advertisers make informed decisions.
“Now science is at play. If you are viewing a station, we know who is watching what and how many people are watching,” he said.
“This will help advertisers to take informed decisions about what programme it is that people are watching, what it is that Nigerians want to watch across all the demographics.”
Idris described the initiative as beneficial to broadcasters, viewers and advertisers.
“We have gone around the facilities. We have already seen that many of the channels have been unbundled here,” he said.
“This is going to bring a lot of advantages to all the broadcasters, the viewers, and everybody that advertises.”
The commission also reaffirmed that Nigeria’s final analogue switch-off remains scheduled for December 31, 2028, urging Nigerians to confirm the compatibility of their decoders and download the FreeTV mobile application ahead of the nationwide rollout.
