Anthony Nwakegho
The Assistant Comptroller of Nigeria Customs, Mr V.O. Gbemudu has urged the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to partner with international electronics companies to manufacture the set up boxes needed for digital migration in the country, locally.
Speaking to DigitalSENSE Business News, at the a
day workshop with Broadcast Home Receiver Equipment Manufacturers, Suppliers
and Vendors at Sheraton Hotel in Lagos, Thursday, hosted by NBC, Gbemudu
wondered why stakeholders would be talking of import restriction with just two
years to transit from analogue to digital broadcasting.
He suggested that it is better to look inward and
see how the multinational companies like LG and SONY among other electronic
giants could help in manufacturing their equipment locally.
“Why are talking about bringing in set up box and
how to protect the set up boxes, when the multinational companies are already
thinking of how to bring these things into the country. I urge the Director
General National Broadcasting Commission to bring this issue before the Nigeria
Economic Summit Group.
“Restriction laws come with a lot of abuses.
Importers bring in things and they tell you that they are completely knocked down,
but they couple it in no time. We have to look inward because no Africa country
can do without Nigerian market because the hub of the market is in Nigeria,” he
said.
Addressing participants earlier, Director General,
NBC, Mr. Emeka Mba said that the country has started the process of switch on
to digital migration, and what is left is the switch off of analogues that is
going to affect everybody.
Mba said that at a point there will be some kind of
import restriction and the commission will begin a labelling process which will
be critical on TV to see whether they are digitally ready as Government has
fixed switch over date to be January 1, 2015.
DigitalSENSE
Business News gathered that the government approved date of 1st
January 2015 is five months to the deadline of 17th June 2015 given
by the ITU.
Also speaking, Chairman, Factora Consult Limited,
Engr Edward Amana said that Nigeria should learn from the mistakes of Tanzania
and Kenya that started the digital transitions and are now having challenges.
DigitalSENSE
Business News gathered from Amana that Nigerians need an intervention for
the set up box which must have a common standard in Nigeria or the ECOWAS
countries, and said that with certain concessionary from government on
machinery for manufacturing the set up boxes, will bring the price down.
... Making SENSE of digital revolution!
Pix: Gbemudu, Mba and Amana
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