The National Broadcasting Commission says it will establish six production studios across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones to promote indigenous content and expand opportunities for content creators.
NBC’s director-general, Charles Ebuebu, disclosed this in an interview on Wednesday in Abuja. He described the initiative as a key component of the Digital Switch Over project.
Mr Ebuebu said the studios would be located across the six geopolitical zones, while discussions were ongoing with the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) on its implementation.
According to him, the facilities will eliminate the need for creators to travel to major production hubs before producing quality content.
“Anybody can walk into the nearest studio, produce quality content, and, if it meets the standard, it will be aired on one of our channels for national viewership,” he said.
Mr Ebuebu said the initiative would unlock Nigeria’s rich cultural heritage by giving voice to communities whose stories have remained largely untold. He noted that although broadcasting has focused mainly on English, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, and Pidgin, Nigeria has more than 700 indigenous languages, each with unique stories.
“Content producers across the world are looking for fresh cultural stories. We want to use Free TV to project our local stories just as digital platforms helped Nigerian music gain global acceptance,” he said.
The NBC boss said the studios would provide a national platform for talented producers, stimulate investment and improve access to financing through credible audience measurement.
He explained that the DSO project would generate scientific audience data, enabling broadcasters to demonstrate viewership and advertising value to investors. According to him, nationwide distribution through Free TV would significantly expand programme audiences and improve broadcasters’ commercial prospects.
He said the platform would encourage the production of more compelling programmes, attract higher advertising revenue and create employment across the creative industry.
Mr Ebuebu recalled the nationwide appeal once enjoyed by programmes such as Village Headmaster, saying the DSO platform would restore similar national reach for quality local productions.
He added that audiences would access content on both Free TV and digital applications, further expanding viewership across the country.
On regional expansion, Mr Ebuebu said satellite transmission naturally extends beyond Nigeria’s borders into neighbouring African countries, offering Nigerian content wider visibility.
He, however, said the commission’s immediate priority was to build strong local content before aggressively marketing Nigerian television channels across Africa.
According to him, the long-term goal is to position Nigerian channels for regional and international distribution, leveraging satellite technology to simplify access beyond the country’s borders.