New Telegraph

FG targets $1.1bn from spectrum, TV licenses’ sale

…to create 2m jobs by 2023

The Federal Government is targeting the sum of $1.1 billion from sale of television licences, Digital Access Fees and spectrum that would be vacated once analogue to digital migration has been completed.

Briefing newsmen yesterday after the virtual Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said his ministry would also create at least 2 million jobs by 2023.

The minister told newsmen that he presented the Ministerial Performance Report of the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, covering the period August 2019 to June 2020 to the FEC.
According to him, the presentation centred around the eight deliverables given to the ministry which included the execution of a proactive media strategy to communicate the policies and achievements of government; promoting tourism; promoting a positive Nigerian brand through local content in film, music, software, arts and fashion as well as job creation.

He said the core of his presentation to the Council was creation of jobs considering the negative effects of Coronavirus disease in the nation’s economy.
He said: “The good news, as contained in the presentation, is that the Ministry of Information and Culture is set to create over two million jobs within the next three years. We are doing this through the implementation of Deliverable Number 7, which mandates us to collaborate with the private sector to create jobs for the youth.

“The number one job creator under the Ministry of Information and Culture is the Digital Switch Over (DSO) in broadcasting, which is set to create one million jobs in the next three years through the manufacturing of set-top-boxes (decoders) and TV sets, TV and Film production, as well as TV and online advertising and data, among others.

“Of course, the DSO will also fetch $100 million from the collection of TV licences and Digital Access Fees, as well as $1 billion from the sale of the spectrum that would be vacated once the Analogue to Digital migration has been completed.

“We have so far rolled out the DSO in five states (Enugu, Osun, Kwara, Kaduna and Plateau states) as well as the Federal Capital Territory. We are now set to extend the rollout to all parts of the country.

“Also, the ongoing reform of the broadcast and advertising industries is aimed at strengthening the industries so they can live up to their billing and generate more job opportunities. In the broadcast industry, the reform will, among others, propel revolutionary advantages in the area of promoting entrepreneurship in the local industry.
“As for the advertising sector, bringing Nigeria’s TV advertisement market to what it should be, which is three times its current size, could result in additional $200-$400 million revenue to the industry, in addition to creating thousands of jobs.
“Then, of course, the Cultural Industries Centres, which are scattered all over the country, are capable of creating 500,000 jobs within the next three years, just as we can have some 100,000 jobs from the restoration of our museums, especially in Lagos, Plateau and Kwara.”

Read Previous

Labour kicks as PPPRA raises petrol price to N143.80

Read Next

Delta tops new cases as Nigeria hits record high with 790 COVID-19 infections

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *