In 2006, the global journey for a switch over from analogue to Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) commenced with the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as the lead. 2015 was the unanimous deadline set for all countries to attain the full switch over. However, the enormity of the task has led to countries adjusting the deadline to suit their local capacity and speed.
Accordingly, Nigeria’s DTT switchover has mirrored this global movement, with the federal government adopting a phased migration plan. Having set out in 2006, 2012 was the deadline set for actualization of the first phase of migration in the country. The deadline was later shifted to 2017 by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), due to paucity of funds.
Eventually, Jos became the pilot city in 2016. Enugu, Kwara, Osun and Kaduna States soon followed. The second phase commenced in Lagos State on April 29, 2021 and was planned to bring 13 more states onboard the DTT train.
While the federal government continued the DSO implementation in phases, Nigeria has experienced massive penetration of Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) service across the country in the past decade.
Since its launch in the Nigerian market in October 2011, GOtv Nigeria has been at the forefront of DTT service supply to homes across the country. At the market entry, the company said its proposition was to make high quality local and international content available and affordable to as many households as possible in the country. Over the past 10 years, the company could be said to have delivered on this mandate, having established a status among average Nigerians as the home of entertainment.
Through its robust pan-Nigerian drive, GOtv became the leading Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) service provider in Nigeria, with services now in 46 cities across 25 states in the country, with its most recent addition in Lokoja, the capital of Kogi State in June 2022.
The company’s huge investment in top-class technology has been crucial to this achievement. “We are pleased that residents of Lokoja can now enjoy quality programming on our DVB-T2 technology, which is the highest technology available for DTT. With this technology, subscribers will experience the digital television revolution from the comfort of their homes complete with great picture and sound quality,” said Chief Executive Officer, MultiChoice Nigeria, John Ugbe in an official statement to announce the launch.
Receiving GOtv to the city, the Maigari of Lokoja, Dr. Muhammaddu Kabir Maikarfi (III), stressed the importance of having such a veritable source of information available to the people in this strategic city. “Lokoja is a city with a rich history. This city has the confluence of the two major rivers in Nigeria and is also home to different ethnic groups. It is a privilege to welcome GOtv to Lokoja. Having GOtv is like having a source of knowledge, mixed with entertainment, and reports that will widen the horizon of our thinking,” he said.
Perhaps, what has endeared the GOtv brand to many Nigerians is the array of pocket friendly packages that give different classes of people a choice on the platform. For instance, with as low as 1,900, a customer can subscribe to a GOtv package, monthly and access over 45 world-class channels.
Speaking at the launch in Lokoja, Head of Sales, MultiChoice Nigeria, Akinola Salu, said: “GOtv is a family package. Whatever amount you have, we have a package for you. And for the launch in Lokoja, we have brought the price down from N9,500 to N6,900 so that everybody can afford GOtv. We have also made GOtv available all over Lokoja. We have over 200 neighbourhood stores selling GOtv across the city.”
For over a decade, it can be safely said that GOtv has combined the role of leading DTT coverage in Nigeria with the provision of top-quality entertainment to households. The extension to Lokoja is an indication that the leading DTT service provider in Nigeria, is very much committed to the digitization of the Nigerian terrestrial television space.
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