Nigeria’s Akwa Ibom State says it is confident of meeting a 2015 deadline to switch to digital broadcasting and it has also urged the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to intensify campaigns aimed at ensuring broadcasters comply with the switchover.

Commissioner for information and communications for the southern state, Aniekan Umanah, has called on the broadcasting commission to rise up to the challenges of the digital era and ensure proper regulation of electronic media ahead of the deadline.

The International Telecommunications Union (ITU) has set a deadline of 2015 for migration from analogue to digital television signals.

“Digital broadcasting is a global phenomenon, which will bring many benefits including pictures, sound quality and more channels for viewers and listeners. This development, which is endorsed by the International Telecommunications Union, possess a great challenge to the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission and the need for them to educate the public on the implications of the switch-over,” he said during a workshop in Uyo that was organised by the NBC.

The director general of the NBC, Emeka Mba, said the training was planned to create understanding on the role of the new skills required in broadcasting.

Meanwhile, Umanah expressed confidence the state would meet the ITU deadline to switch from analogue to digital broadcasting.

He said the state had acquired digital compliance equipment for the Akwa Ibom Broadcasting Corporation.

He hailed the choice of Akwa Ibom for the NBC workshop, which he attributed to the serene environment, security network and the transformation of the state.