In an open letter addressed to the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, and copied to the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission, Dr. Charles Ebuebu, as well as the Managing Director of NIGCOMSAT, Jane Nkechi Egerton-Idehen, Yakubu cautioned against what he described as “false narratives and inaccuracies” surrounding the government’s latest satellite-driven DSO initiative.
Yakubu acknowledged that the government’s decision to migrate from terrestrial broadcasting to a Direct-to-Home satellite model could help solve nationwide broadcast coverage challenges, but argued that major operational risks remain unresolved.
“The execution roadmap is dangerously misaligned with the unforgiving physical realities of space infrastructure and orbital mechanics,” he stated.
He questioned the long-term viability of NigComSat-1R, the satellite expected to host the national broadcast channels, noting that its 15-year design lifespan would expire by December 2026.
“Having been commissioned in late December 2011, NigComSat-1R will cross the threshold of absolute fuel exhaustion by December 2026,” the letter said.
Yakubu further warned that delays in the launch of replacement satellites, NIGCOMSAT-2A and 2B, scheduled for 2028 and 2029 respectively, could create a “guaranteed sovereign broadcasting capability gap spanning 24 to 36 months.”
He also expressed fears that any temporary migration to commercial satellites operated by foreign firms could force millions of Nigerian households to manually realign their satellite dishes, potentially causing nationwide blackouts.
“Restoring service will require a physical, manual realignment of every dish across the federation,” he wrote, estimating the exercise could cost up to N100 billion.
The stakeholder additionally raised concerns over the supply of Set-Top Boxes, saying ongoing litigation between the NBC and local manufacturers could affect the rollout.
“How will the NBC ensure adequate hardware availability by the mid-2026 deadline without violating the executive mandates of the President’s ‘Nigeria First’ policy on domestic manufacturing procurement?” he queried.
Yakubu argued that the shift from Digital Terrestrial Television to satellite broadcasting risks excluding poor and rural Nigerians due to the high cost of installation.
“It costs currently about N80,000 to buy Satellite Antenna, Free To Air Decoder, LNBF, Cables and Installation,” he said, adding that the amount exceeds Nigeria’s minimum wage.
He also questioned the viability of the audience measurement system being promoted for the DSO, claiming that millions of rural households without internet access would be excluded from data collection.
According to him, this could distort advertising metrics and negatively impact regional broadcasters.
Yakubu urged the Federal Government and regulators to transparently address the identified challenges before proceeding with the rollout.
“This Big picture seems to be too big and too opaque. Let this picture be small but clear and transparent to all stakeholders,” he stated.