NTA needs N2.9bn for digitization - DG

ITRealms:

The Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) Mr Sola Omole has said the TV House would need $15 million about N2.9 billion to complete its digitisation programme in addition to N6 billion naira for total restructuring across the country, reports ITRealms.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the fifth seminar on African digitization in Tianjin, China, hosted by StarTimes, a Chinese telco, Mr. Omole noted that StarTimes has a presence in Nigeria through its partnership with the NTA in its digitisation programme.

He pointed out that NTA’s focus currently are the challenges brought about by digitisation and why most African countries may not meet the June 17, 2015 digital migration and switchover deadline.

“As at now, over 97 per cent of African countries, including Nigeria, may not meet the June 17 deadline,’’ he declared, adding that Nigeria commenced on a bright note but was slowed down due to inadequate availability of funding.

“We made steady progress through the assistance of our partners StarTimes, but attention shifted to politics and there was lack of funds during the period which affected the programme.

“It will be difficult to meet the June 17 switchover deadline because the structure on ground does not support it, though efforts have been made, there exists several gaps and challenges,” he said.

Emphasising that NTA needs some time to provide the required infrastructure and adequate funding which is most critical.

“The process is capital intensive and most African countries are at various stages of implementation while only a few had advanced. It is said that the switchover will affect countries around you that are analogue. But now that most African countries are not ready, nothing will change,’’ Omole told NAN in China.

+Remmy Nweke (ITRealms)  

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