The Federal Government has launched FreeTV, a digital television platform offering over 100 free-to-air channels, as part of Nigeria’s Digital Switch Over (DSO) programme aimed at transitioning from analogue to digital broadcasting.

The launch was held on Wednesday at the Nigerian Communications Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) headquarters in Abuja by the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris.

FreeTV will provide news, sports, entertainment, education, and indigenous language content in Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo, accessible via satellite, terrestrial networks, and a mobile app. The government said no new television sets are required, provided viewers use compatible DVB-T2 or DVB-S2 decoders.

Idris described the initiative as a key driver of Nigeria’s digital transformation, noting its potential to create jobs, expand local content production, and boost the creative economy under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s agenda.

Stakeholders including broadcasters, manufacturers, and regulators such as the NBC and BON reportedly endorsed the rollout during consultations ahead of the launch.

NBC Director-General, Charles Ebuebu, said the platform would expand access to digital content and create new opportunities for media professionals, with regional production hubs planned across major cities.

Nigeria’s analogue switch-off remains scheduled for December 31, 2028, with citizens urged to confirm decoder compatibility ahead of the nationwide rollout.