Relief, yesterday, came the way of subscribers, following the Federal Government’s unveiling of a new indigenous satellite Pay TV network, Silver Lake Television (SLTV), in Abuja.
This, the government said, would serve as an alternative to existing ones and satisfy the yearnings of citizens, by giving them value for their money.
The move came against the background of President Bola Tinubu’s recent assurance to Nigerians and investors that he would fight every obstacle to businesses and competitiveness this year.
Speaking at the event, Secretary to Government of the Federation (SGF), George Akume, noted that the move was in line with the desire of the citizenry to “reap from the bountiful harvest awaiting investors in the Nigerian economy.”
He commended the owners, Metrodigital Limited, for their “patriotic step in setting up the satellite television,” adding: “It is becoming very clear that we are on the right path to our collective recovery and prosperity. This is our country; the only one we can truly call our own and we must fix it by ourselves.”
Represented by his Special Adviser (Technical), Prof Babatunde Bernard, the SGF continued: “In recent times, Nigerians have been yearning for alternatives to Satellite Pay TV that can serve as an alternative to the existing ones. SLTV has responded very loud and clear, and from the information made available to me, they are willing to give their fellow compatriot (s) real value for their money in terms of quality and affordability.”
Managing Director of Metrodigital Limited, Dr Ifeanyi Okafor, regretted that the growth of pay TV in the country has been hampered by policies and legal frameworks that promote monopoly.
He said his firm dared because the government was beginning to take positive steps to address the situation.
Director General of Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Charles Ebuebu, promised that his organisation would consider the call by subscribers for introduction of pay-per-view options.
He added that would mean re-negotiating the contracts already entered with content providers.
Ebuebu assured that the commission would look into the area of overpricing of content, even as he affirmed that the prevailing economic situation in the country affects all sectors.
