Olugbenga E. SIJUADE, Omotayo A. OKEYA-OLAYINKA, & Akin AKINRADE

Abstract

Digitization has enveloped media industry around the globe. Obviously, no country in the is left behind in thinking of embracing digitalization. Digitization holds immense prospects of technological revolution in which the ITU has set 2015 for the entire broadcasting stations in the world to go digital. While a good number of developed and developing societies have visibly accomplished their digital migration; this is 2023, most developing nations in Africa especially Nigeria are still struggling to meet up with this global digital revolution but with a huge successes. In view of this situation, it appears interesting to explore literature on digitization and examine the implications of digitization to Nigerian broadcast media. This paper conceptually assesses the strategies initiated by both the Nigerian government and other major actors of the broadcast media industry in Nigeria, in view of accomplishing the complex digitization scheme. It argues that Nigeria’s march towards complete digitization is still on. A number of milestones have been recorded including the definition of a legal and operational framework for the digitization process, the introduction by multiple media houses of webcasting and the entrance in the country’s broadcasting industry of cable and satellite pay TV operators. Despite these considerable efforts, there is still much to be done, especially in the domain of sensitization of Nigerian audiences about the technical and financial implications of digitization. The paper identifies a number of challenges to the process of digitization in Nigeria. These include the lack of fund, the lack of skilled manpower, knowledge gap (poor audience sensitization over the digitization process), the slow elaboration of a working legal framework for digitization process and the apparent lack of enthusiasm from the government among others. It concludes by recommending a number of strategic actions that may help surmount challenges being identified in the paper.