adsBarely a week after the federal government fixed June 17, 2026, for the nationwide rollout of Nigeria’s long-delayed Digital Switchover (DSO), a major dispute has erupted within the broadcasting industry, with the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON) warning that the planned launch could be legally flawed and financially burdensome for citizens.
In a formal letter dated May 19, 2026, addressed to the director-general of the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Charles Ebuebu, BON argued that the platform being prepared for commissioning does not qualify as a true digital switchover but rather amounts to a direct-to-home (DTH) satellite television distribution service.
The protest comes days after the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, alongside NBC officials, announced that the country was ready for the June 17 launch following an inspection of facilities at Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NigComSat) in Abuja.
At the unveiling, officials said the new FreeTV platform would deliver more than 100 channels nationwide through satellite transmission, bypassing the regional infrastructure limitations that have hampered previous rollout attempts.
