The Director General of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Mallam Is’haq Modibbo Kawu has revealed that currently, Nigerian TV exports remain the most searched for in the African continent and its growing to become a global brand at the end of Digital Switch over (DSO).
Speaking in celebration of the United Nations World TV Day (WTvD), Kawu said “World television day is important to Nigeria in the context of Nigeria’s ongoing Digital Switch over (DSO) from analogue to digital. It is very important in that context that television is very much important as a medium of information, education and entertainment”.
He said “And in our own context also, TV has remained a strategic medium of mobilizing the people for national empowerment and development agenda”.
“We feel as an institution at NBC, that the new vista which digital television will bring to Nigeria will offer tremendous possibilities in terms of national development and enterprise.
“This is so because with digital television, unprecedented avenues will open for new generation of Nigeria content of ideas to provide the new levels of content that would help the development agenda of the Nigerian people.
Kawu also recalled that “70% of all content now would have to be made by Nigerians. And a country where 63% of the population is under 25, 75% under 35 is a golden market for serious businesses and investors because of high number of young people”.
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According to him, “Currently, Nigerian content had become the most sought content on the African continent today. Maybe it is one of the best content even in the world today. For now, we have only scratched the surface of her possibilities”.
“So in this period of world television day, let us consolidate our mind about how we can use television to improve the quality of life of the Nigerian people. NBC as an institution is dedicated to that,” NBC boss averred.
In December 1996, the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), proclaimed 21 November every year as World Television Day (WTvD).
Otherwise, the first World Television Forum was staged by the United Nations in the mid ’90s, and it was out of this event that World Television Day was born. The forum brought together leading figures from the media industry to analyze the growing impact that TV had on decision-making and public opinion when it comes to issues of peace and security around the planet.
According to the United Nations, this decision was taken in order to give recognition to the increasing impact television has had on decision-making by bringing various conflicts and threats to peace and security to the world’s attention, as well as its coverage of other major issues, including economic and social.