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- Targets a $400 million yearly TV advertising market
By Oluwatobi Opusunju
Nigerian government will be launching a N100 billion free video-on-demand online channel to accelerate the country’s Digital Switch Over (DSO) program, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has said while commissioning the ultra-modern Digital Set Top Box manufacturing plant inside the Calabar Export Free Zone in Cross River State.
Mohammed said government was also targeting a yearly TV advertising market of $400 million through an e-program guide that will help grow the TV audience measurement.
The manufacturing plant, owned by Gospell Digital Technology, is touted to be the largest in West Africa. It has the capacity to manufacture TV decoders, prepaid electricity meter, smart phones, TV main boards, tablets computers and other kinds of electronic devices. Gospell Digital Technology plans to be the largest supplier of digital equipment in West African countries.
While commending the investors and the managers of the plant for showing confidence in the country’s economy and Digital Switch Over (DSO) program, the minister noted that the plan to launch the video- on-demand network is geared towards growing the economy of Nollywood in the country.
“Today, if you want to buy a Nollywood film, you either go to the Alaba market or you go and buy from the authorised shops. But with this network, it is now possible for millions of Nigerians to buy on demand. We call it video on demand. It is part of the facilities available on these set top boxes. Which means you can buy online. Imagine if 20 million people order a film in one day, it would grow the economy of Nollywood,” Mohammed said.
