Digital broadcasting in Nigeria by the eyes of its users: history of development and current state

Abstract

The article reproduces some aspects of history of implementation of digital broadcasting in Nigeria, also it contains the evaluation of its current state. The theoretical and methodological base of its conduction was the “diffusional” theory of innovations, which allowed determining the true situation of readiness of Nigeria for digitalization of national mass media. As part of this research the interviewing (the survey) of 184 digital broadcasting journalists from 150 media companies of three Nigerian provinces (Enugu, Ebonyi and Anambra) was conducted. Its results indicates that main obstacles to the development of digital broadcasting in Nigeria are limited funding, unsatisfactory state of mass media digitalization, lack of qualified specialists and required equipment and lack of political will. Relating to this, there is every reason to affirm that modern level of digitalization of broadcasting in Nigeria is quite low and does not correspond to the development requirements of country at the current stage. At the same time, the results allow to claim that the great majority of respondents has a high level of personal awareness of digital broadcasting. Most of them revealed their readiness to become the first users of the digital broadcasting after its full implementation in country. Before that time, Nigeria has made insignificant progress in the digital broadcasting area, its further development requires the solution of complicated tasks connected with digitalization of the television media by the government of Nigeria. The Nigerian government should solve the issues of funding for ensuring the development of digital broadcasting in Nigeria, as well as propose the strategy of its implementation, provide the education of stuff and find an opportunity to install modern technical equipment. The expanding of the area and geography of the further researches on this subject with the aim of coverage of all country’s provinces for better understanding of the problem.