The Federal Government has announced plans to launch FreeTV, a national digital television platform, on Wednesday as part of efforts to expand access to free-to-air broadcasting across Nigeria.
The announcement was made in a statement posted on the Presidency’s official X handle on Tuesday night.
According to the government, the platform will provide households nationwide with access to free digital television channels, improved picture quality, and a wide range of Nigerian content without monthly subscription fees.
The Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Charles Ebuebu, described the initiative as a major milestone under President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which focuses on inclusion, job creation, and technology-driven development.
Ebuebu said FreeTV forms part of Nigeria’s Digital Switch-Over (DSO) programme designed to transition the country fully from analogue to digital broadcasting, ensuring wider access to television content.
He explained that the platform would offer more than 100 channels, including national, regional, and state stations, as well as news, sports, movies, music, children’s programming, educational content, and indigenous language channels in Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo.
The NBC boss added that FreeTV would be accessible through satellite, terrestrial transmission, and a mobile application, ensuring coverage for urban, rural, and previously underserved communities.
He noted that Nigerians would not need to purchase new television sets, as existing devices could work with compatible OVB-T2 or DVB-S2 decoders, while those with existing free-to-air decoders may not require new equipment.
“FreeTV speaks directly to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s vision of Renewed Hope towards expanding access, creating opportunity and ensuring that every Nigerian, regardless of location or income, can benefit from the digital economy,” Ebuebu said.
He added that the platform would also support Nigeria’s creative industry by creating new opportunities for content producers, technicians, editors, and other professionals in the broadcast value chain.
Ebuebu further disclosed that regional production studios would be established in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Enugu, Kano, and Benin to boost local content development and job creation.
He reiterated that the final analogue switch-off remains scheduled for December 31, 2028, urging Nigerians to begin preparing by checking decoder compatibility and downloading the FreeTV mobile application.
