New conference system for the Nigerian government

The Nigerian government commissioned a complete audio and video conferencing system overhaul with built-in simultaneous translation and automated camera tracking

Bringing Nigeria’s government meetings up to presidential standards.

The Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (OSGF) is responsible for coordinating and monitoring the implementation of all Government policies and decisions overseen by the Nigerian Presidency. The effective execution of this task involves hosting a lot of physical and virtual meetings, local and international conferences, and press briefings. As the OSFG’s main meeting venue, the Presidential council chambers, was due for modernization in terms of audio and video conferencing technology, the institution seized the opportunity to replace the old audio and video conferencing with a completely new one. One that truly lives up to presidential standards.

Replacing an outdated AV system based on futureproof requirements

Due to reasons such as outdated technology, end of support for used equipment, and lack of scalability, the Presidential council chambers’ old audiovisual meeting system was plagued with frequent system failure. With problems ranging from loss of audio and failing delegate microphones to loss of video feed, the OSGF decided to stop spending time and money on trying to maintain the existing system.

A complete overhaul of the government chambers’ conferencing system and equipment was planned, and a set of ambitious and futureproof requirements were drafted. The new system was to offer a world-class, modern conferencing solution ‘fit for a President’. It needed to facilitate on-site, online and hybrid meetings with top-notch audio and video quality. The new conferencing system would also need to include a high-resolution multimedia camera solution and an elaborate central control room for accurate AV management.

New Televic solution with built-in simultaneous Translation and automated camera tracking

Televic partner Altrasav Limited designed and delivered a conferencing solution that meets the OSGF’s stringent requirements. Altrasav built the entire new installation around Televic’s UniBOX: a multimedia interface solution that enables a fully digital meeting experience on any HDMI touch screen.

To do just that, the room was equipped with 74 UniBOX delegate stations with interactive multimedia content and video streaming on retractable Arthur Holm screens. Televic conference microphones, physical voting buttons and a channel selector were seamlessly integrated into the hardware design to provide the best possible user experience. Multimedia content is easily brought onto the conference network with Televic Video-In boxes and made available directly on the delegate stations (or on other displays in the room) through the Video-Out box.

Advanced personalization, interpreting and camera tracking options

Televic electronic nameplates, based on E-ink technology, automatically display the names of the delegates and are a welcome replacement for the old-fashioned static nameplates. With a crisp, high-contrast text display and a maximum viewing angle of 180°, the new digital nameplates eliminate reflections and flickers, even when filmed or broadcasted.

Simultaneous interpretation capabilities have been built into the council room’s conferencing system using Televic’s ISO compliant Lingua ID interpreter desks. The Lingua ID interpreter Desk was designed by interpreters to offer maximum comfort and usability. Thanks to a clear and flexible user interface and improved ergonomics, it has everything on board to make an interpreter’s job easier.

Finally, an automated Televic T-CAM camera tracking system was added to the meeting room layout. With advanced features such as automatic presets, clean cuts and speaker name overlay, this system enables remote participants in hybrid meetings to follow and join the discussion with high-quality video, without the need for assistance by an AV technician.

Jurgen Van Muylder, sales & marketing manager EMEA at Televic, said that:

“The professional approach of integrator and Televic partner Altrasav and the integration with other renowned brands such as Arthur Holm, Kramer and Yamaha turned this project into a perfect example of what a room of this caliber should look like.”

Mustapha Baba Shehuri, Nigeria’s Honorable Minister of State Agriculture, puts it this way:

“Compared to the previous system, this is like going from darkness to light.”

Soufiane Habri, Sales Manager MEA at Televic, said that:

“The Presidency of Nigeria is one of the most prestigious projects I have ever done In Africa so far. Televic Conference delivered a state-of-the-art technology in terms of design, performance, and coexistence with third-party solutions. On behalf of Televic Conference, we thank the Presidency for their tremendous confidence in us.”