The Minister of Communication, Digital Technology, and Innovation, Samuel Nartey George, has expressed concern over the growing reliance on Nigerian DStv decoders in Ghana, warning that the trend is undermining the growth of the local movie industry.
Speaking on the issue, the Minister said that the dominance of Nigerian decoders has diverted substantial financial support away from Ghanaian filmmakers and content producers, contributing to the decline of the country’s movie sector.
“For every one Ghanaian contributing to the Ghanaian film or local content industry, five Ghanaians are contributing to the Nigerian industry,” Mr. Sam George lamented. “While we are complaining that our movie industry is struggling, our neighbors in Nigeria are experiencing growth simply because of this imbalance.”
He stressed that MultiChoice, the operators of DStv, has a responsibility to invest in Ghana’s creative sector and to ensure that local content receives the same level of support as it does in Nigeria.
Addressing concerns about whether shutting down DStv services would negatively impact the Ghanaian movie industry, the Minister framed the matter as one of national responsibility.
“We want to fix our own country. It won’t be fixed by Nigerians, Kenyans, or South Africans. It will be fixed by us as Ghanaians. This government is a reset government. So let’s reset our Nigerian decoder boxes and reconnect the Ghanaian decoder boxes,” he stated.
Mr. Sam George further revealed that his Ministry is working with MultiChoice to deactivate Nigerian decoders currently in use in Ghana, in a bid to safeguard local content and strengthen the domestic film industry.
