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‘How African countries can speed up digital migration’

By Margaret Mwantok
04 July 2016   |   3:08 am
Digital migration in broadcasting is irreversible and unstoppable, hence Nigeria and, indeed the entire African continent, must join the global digitalization train so as not to be left behind, the Minister of Information and Culture...
Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed

Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed

Digital migration in broadcasting is irreversible and unstoppable, hence Nigeria and, indeed the entire African continent, must join the global digitalization train so as not to be left behind, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said recently in Beijing, China.

He was speaking at the end of the 6th African Digital TV Development Seminar in the Chinese capital. Mohammed said it is imperative for Africa to utilize the platform provided by digitalization to leapfrog into the future of technology.

In a statement by the Special Assistant to the Minister, Segun Adeyemi, Mohammed said a successful transition would spin off benefits far beyond broadcasting, not just for Nigeria but for the entire African continent, adding that a timely and successful Digital Switch Over (DSO) would put many of the country’s youths to work, provide the platform for their creativity to blossom, ensure technology transfer and create opportunities far beyond what anyone can fathom at the moment.

He said it was in realization of the far-reaching benefits of the DSO that African Ministers in charge of Information and Communication, who attended the forum, have agreed on the need for a continental synergy and the sharing of experiences in order to facilitate a successful switchover across the continent.

He said a situation in which only two African nations have so far successfully digitalized their broadcast industry does not augur well for the continent, hence the decision by the Ministers to work together to 
fast-track the switch over project.

The Digital Switch Over is a global project. Many countries that have concluded their DSO are already reaping the benefits accruing therefrom. Africa can not afford to lag too far behind,’’ the Minister said.

He commended the organizers of the Forum for providing a platform not just for all those involved in the digitalization process in Africa and China to interact and share experiences, but also for the representatives of the various African countries to interact.The lessons we have learnt and the experiences we have shared at this forum will definitely fire our zeal to continue working apace towards a timely and successful digitalization. We must all build on the momentum we have garnered through our interactions in these past few days,’’ the Minister said.

In the same vein, Mohammed, hailed the partnership between the Chinese media group StarTimes and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), saying the partnership has revolutionized television viewing.

“We are very proud of our association with you, especially the partnership between you and the NTA,’’ the Minister said when he recently visited the sprawling headquarters of the StarTimes in Beijing, China.

He expressed gratitude to the Chairman of the company, Mr. Xinxing Pang, over his stated plans to expand its operations in Nigeria. The Minister, who undertook a guided tour of the StarTimes’ headquarters, congratulated the company for the ‘’’giant strides’’ it had made in under 30 years of its existence.

Welcoming the Minister earlier, Mr. Pang described NTA as his company’s most important partner in Africa, saying the Chinese firm is ready to invest more in Nigeria, especially in the area of content provision.

He also said that StarTimes’ planned expansion in Nigeria would include the establishment of a manufacturing plant in the country to produce decoders and television sets, as well as the building of state-of-the-art studios.

StarTimes’ chairman said the vision of his company is for every African family to have access to high quality digital television. The company, which was established in 1988, operates in more than 30 African countries, with over seven million digital television subscribers.

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