PROTOCOL
I am very pleased to be here with you on this historic day, the launch of the Abuja Digital Switch Over in television broadcasting.
The significance of this event cannot be lost on the world as the digital switchover becomes a reality in the capital city of Africa's largest economy and most populous nation.
Even if only for the the huge local and international opportunities for Broadcast, media, ICT, entertainment and education , we are right to say that we stand at the threshold of exciting times for job creation, entertainment and in general local and international commerce.
The successful launch of the pilot scheme in Jos in April has clearly demonstrated the gains of Digital Switchover. I am told that Viewers in the pilot are able to enjoy 15 free channels covering news, sports, music and business.
Local industry is already experiencing a boost from the new vista in digital economy, with several indigenous companies now manufacturing Set-Top-Boxes. Indeed I am told that many of the set-top-boxes we are using for this Abuja switchover are produced in Nigeria.
I am also pleased to note that the signal distributor for the Abuja switchover, Pinnacle Communications is a wholly owned Nigerian firm, which has invested considerably in transmission services and will be transmitting 30 channels even in this first phase.
Indeed as I said at the presentation of the budget to the National Assembly on Tuesday, strong partnerships with the private sector is a defining strategy of our economic plan. This is as it should be.
Technology is transforming our lives and livelihoods daily in new and more dramatic ways. For some of us born over three decades ago it is even more amazing .The pioneering TV signals of the Western Region of Nigeria TV (the first in Africa then) was a wonder, then we thought black and white TV was the end of change in TV broadcasting until Coloured TV came. We didn't know that video and audio quality could get so close to real life encounters until the digital revolution and now high definition TV. What next?
But perhaps more important are the doors opened by digital transition.
First is that it would liberalize access to and increase the versatility of media information. Interactive programming, two-way data exchanges, mobile reception of video, internet and multimedia data will open up.
The opportunities that this will provide are only limited by the imagination. Advertising,formal education, sales and marketing are obvious low hanging fruits.
Again I had mentioned in my speech to the National Assembly that Nigerian artistes and entrepreneurs in music, entertainment and filmmaking will be important pillars in our diversification plans. Digitizations will create jobs in the area of content and software development, provide the platform for film producers and musicians to release their productions directly to households. This will of course substantially cut off piracy.
Let me restate for emphasis that this government is irreversibly committed to meeting the June 2017 deadline for the switchover in the West African subregion. And also to the roll-out of the DSO in all the states of the federation.
I appeal to all state and local governments to be actively involved in the project because of the obvious advantages to our people.
18. Finally, let me congratulate, the Hon minister of information, the DG of the NBC and of course pinnacle communications and Messerschmitt SMK for world class performance on this switchover. It is my special pleasure to welcome the people of the Federal Capital Territory to the world of digital broadcasting.
19. I thank you all for kind attention.
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