Response to Sir Godfrey Ohuabunwa: A clearer, deeper, and future-focused perspective on DSO for the educated and engaged (2025)

By Tajuddeen Adepetu

Sir Godfrey Ohuabunwa’s submission was detailed—but fundamentally flawed. His account reads more like a eulogy for a static past than a roadmap for a digital future. Let’s separate sentiment from strategy, and emotion from execution. We’re not here to dance in the market square. We’re here to build the future of Nigerian broadcasting, and yes—that future requires disruption.

1. Yes, DSO is Global. That’s the point, and globally it has evolved. Nobody denied that the DSO is a global initiative under the ITU. The point is how the world is implementing it. DTT isn’t obsolete as a concept—but the rigid implementation model Nigeria locked into ten years ago is.
In fact: The UK’s Freeview now works alongside internet-based Freeview Play. France’s TNT system is integrating broadband for hybrid catch-up. America’s ATSC 3.0 is pushing NextGen TV—over-the-air broadcast combined with IP-based services.
DTT remains relevant only where it adapts. Inflexible, outdated systems with underpowered boxes and no return path are fast becoming unusable. The future is hybrid—broadcast plus broadband, not broadcast-only.

2. Set-Top Boxes Were Always a Temporary Fix—Not the Goal. The idea that Nigeria’s digital future must orbit around one million DTT Zapper Boxes in circulation is short-sighted.
Set-Top Boxes are not the DSO. They’re a transitional tool. Insisting on outdated hardware to justify sunk costs is poor policy.
Imagine clinging to landlines because we spent money laying copper wires while the world moved to smartphones. The world is building software-defined, cloud-connected platforms—not warehousing hardware.

3. No One Is Abandoning the Poor. But Let’s Be Honest—They’re Already Streaming.
You say hybrid is unaffordable. But walk into any urban slum or rural community today—people stream YouTube and Netflix on phones. Smart TVs are now as common as satellite dishes. The price of Android TVs and boxes is falling fast.
Also: The cost of a hybrid box is dropping below N10,000. Zapper-only boxes without upgrade paths will lock users out of evolving services.
Don’t keep Nigerians locked in a tech ghetto because you want to protect yesterday’s investments. Let’s build systems that give them more access, not less.

4. Yes, the NBC Should Lead. But It Must Lead for the Future, Not the Past.
Sir Godfrey suggests NBC must bow to stakeholders. That’s backwards. NBC’s job is to regulate in the public interest, not protect private business models. And if previous leadership failed to execute, the current DG must be allowed to fix it—even if it means making uncomfortable decisions.
The Commission must: Adapt the DSO specs to current realities. Adopt globally viable standards—not 10-year-old white papers. Prioritize flexibility, upgradability, and value to citizens.

5. Public and Private Investment Must Not Just Be Preserved—It Must Be Made Productive.
Let’s talk numbers. Yes, N50B has been spent. Yes, 1 million boxes are in the wild. Yes, infrastructure exists. But money already spent should not become the excuse for doubling down on an outdated model.
The right move is: Revalidate existing investments that align with future plans. Provide backward compatibility for existing DTT boxes during transition. Focus subsidies on hybrid-ready devices. Digitize content, not just channels.
Don’t bury the future under the weight of yesterday’s deals.

6. This Is About More Than TV—It’s About Nigeria’s Digital Economy.
The DSO is not just about clear pictures or sound. It’s about: Creating data pipes for education, governance, and commerce. Enabling connected TVs that can host educational apps, e-commerce, public messaging. Monetizing viewership data for advertising at scale. You can’t do that with Zapper boxes stuck in MPEG-4. The world has moved to H.265, HEVC, and cloud-managed services. Nigeria must catch up or stay irrelevant.

Final Word:
Nigeria’s DSO must be future-focused, hybrid-ready, and economically rational. Clinging to old models is anti-growth. Prioritizing hardware over user experience is anti-innovation. Protecting past investments at the expense of national progress is anti-people.
Let’s move from analog thinking to digital leadership. Let’s stop managing warehouses and start managing value. And let’s stop looking backwards. The future is calling and Nigeria must answer.

_Adepetu is the Founder and Group CEO of Group8 Limited, Africa’s leading media-tech conglomerate. With over two decades of experience in broadcasting, content creation, platform innovation, and digital transformation, he is widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in African media. From TV to tech, from legacy to leadership—Group8 is building Africa’s media future.
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