Voice of Nigeria (VON) has unveiled plans to reinstate its German-language service and enhance collaborations with Deutsche Welle (DW) to broaden its global broadcasting reach.
The introduction of the German language service at VON dates back to the 1980s, coinciding with the expansion of the station’s international broadcasts.
Malam Jibrin Baba Ndace, the Director General of VON, shared these developments during a courtesy visit to the German Ambassador to Nigeria, Annett Günther, in Abuja.
He expressed gratitude to the German government for its support in the 1980s, highlighting the strong strategic partnership between Deutsche Welle and VON during that period. This collaboration involved staff exchanges, training, content creation, and capacity-building initiatives in specialised fields.
Malam Ndace noted, “We are implementing innovations aimed at reviving and enhancing our short-wave transmitters, ensuring clearer and sharper frequencies for our external global broadcasts.”
He expressed a desire to rekindle the relationship between DW and VON, particularly regarding staff exchanges and capacity-building. Malam Ndace stressed the importance of connecting Voice of Nigeria with the embassy and Radio DW to collaborate effectively on content generation, exchange programs, and various other mutually beneficial initiatives.
He also addressed the increasing issues of misinformation and disinformation, emphasising the need to combat fake news in the joint efforts of VON and DW. “Voice of Nigeria is prepared to leverage its platforms to reshape narratives and tackle the rising tide of false information,” he stated.
Furthermore, Malam Ndace announced that VON would soon commence Mandarin broadcasts for its listeners in China and is also planning to introduce Dutch broadcasts to share Nigeria’s story with wider audiences.
Ambassador Annett Günther expressed her appreciation for the Director General’s visit and reaffirmed the embassy’s commitment to collaborating with VON to achieve shared objectives that benefit both Nigeria and Germany. She mentioned plans for additional training focused on election coverage and reporting for Nigerian journalists.
The ongoing bilateral relationship between Voice of Nigeria and Radio Deutsche Welle centres on cooperation, technical assistance, content production, and staff exchange. This partnership aims to foster socio-economic advancement and address shared challenges while advancing progress within the media sector.
