2027: NBC digital switchover will create national crisis — Ohuabunwa tells Tinubu to intervene

Public affairs analyst and businessman, Godfrey Ohuabunwa, has raised an alarm over the planned National Broadcasting Commission’s, NBC, digital switch from analogue ahead of the 2027 general election.

In a statement on Wednesday, Ohuabunwa said the move may result in a national disaster and serious risk.

According to him, the current approach being implemented by the NBC appears rushed, unclear, and inconsistent with the existing 2012 Digital Switchover (DSO) White Paper approved by the Federal Executive Council.

He noted that the planned transition is a mere aggregation of channels on NigComSat platforms and not a complete Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) migration as originally approved under Nigeria’s DSO framework.

Ohuabunwa, who doubled as the chairman of the Association of Licensed Set-Top Box Manufacturers of Nigeria, urged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene to halt confusion being created by the NBC.

“Mr President, Nigeria cannot afford confusion in its broadcasting system at a time the nation is preparing for another critical democratic transition.” “The time to act is now,” he stated.

Recall that NBC had announced 2027 as the migration date from analog broadcasting to digital.