Malam Ishaq Kawu, the Director-
General, National Broadcasting Commission
(NBC) on Monday inspected facilities installed in
Kaduna State in preparation for Digital Switch
Over.

Addressing newsmen shortly after inspecting the
facilities, Kawu said the commission was
impressed with the level of work and the
equipment installed by Pinnacle Communications
l.td.

He said that the commission would come up with
modalities on how to distribute Set Top Boxes in
Kaduna to ensure smooth transition from
analogue to digital switch over in state.
Kawu said that NBC had kept some boxes for
Kaduna State switch over, in view of the fact that
the state was a major urban city.

“ NBC came here to inspect what has been
installed by the signal distributor appointed for
Kaduna digitisation which is the Pinnacle
Communications Ltd.

“This is a normal pattern in the days leading to
Abuja switch over, if you recall we visited the site
in Mpape three to four different times.

“ The visit will enable us to see exactly the level
of work at the beginning, when installation of the
equipment started, and eventually commissioning
of the transmitters.

“We felt it is important for us to come and see to
be able to appreciate and evaluate what has
been done so far.

“I can say that we have seen all that have been
installed and it is quite impressive what we have
seen here today,’’ Kawu said.

The director-general, however, said that what
was remaining to complete the process was the
inclusion of the local channels into the
transmitter, assuring that Kaduna digitisation
would be much better.

“ To be honest, I won’t tell you this is the exact
day that we are going to roll out digital switch
over in Kaduna.

“ The reason is simple, as you have seen the
National and Regional channels are running, but
we have to get the local channels to come on
board".

He said that very soon, NBC would embark on
aggressive campaign to reach out to the
communities in the state to keep them abreast of
the digital switchover in their locality.

Kawu urged Kaduna residents not to purchase
the boxes yet, adding that the commission would
inform them when to buy and activate them.
According to him, until the signal is rolled out,
set top boxes cannot be activated.

The director-general disclosed that after Kaduna,
the commission would move to five other states
namely Gombe, Delta, Enugu, Kwara and Osun
states.

He noted that digital switchover was capital
intensive, adding that it was a process of kick
starting the digital national economy.

Earlier, the Chief Engineer, Pinnacles
Communications, Mr Tony Webber who
conducted the delegation round the facilities,
expressed readiness of the company to ensure
successful digital switch over in the state.

I hope it gets to Lagos soon