
The Federal Government says it aims to create no fewer than 800,000 jobs from its Digital Switch Over project it billed to roll out later this week.
Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the Minister of Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, announced this in Abuja at an interactive session with Senate Committee on Information and National Orientation with the 13 Member Ministerial Task Force on DSO project.
He said that the manufacturing of set top boxes or decoders alone was capable of creating 50,000 jobs, while television production could create 200,000 jobs.
“Film Production can generate 350 to 400,000 jobs, distribution, which entails supplying the market with Set Top Boxes,TVs and Dongles for the internet, will require at least 100,000 wholesalers. Advertising can create a further 50,000 jobs.”
He explained how the DSO will commence,saying: “We are kickstarting the new roll out in Lagos state on April 29, while Kano on June 3, and Rivers on July 8. We will then follow up with Yobe s on July 15 and Gombe on Aug 12. To date, we have rolled out the DSO in five states and Abuja.”
He said the DSO had gone live in the Federal Capital Territory, Kwara, Kaduna Enugu and Osun states.
He said the ministry considers the DSO as one of its priority projects, given its potential to create jobs, bring governance closer to the people through better access to information, provide quality programming to Nigeria’s estimated 24 million television households, with high fidelity pictures and sound.
“Without mincing words, let me say straight away that for us, the DSO is about stimulating local content and empowering platform owners,” he said.
He disclosed that the ministry had taken some steps to create the enabling environment for the DSO to succeed, for local content to thrive, for indigenous producers to be more engaged and for the local advertising market to grow.
He also revealed that the federal government had carried out an unprecedented reform of the broadcasting industry, given the nexus between the reforms and success of the DSO.