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Economic Confidential,
September, 2009
SPECIAL FOCUS
VOICE OF NIGERIA
...the authoritative choice
7255KHz on 41 band … 9690 KHz on 25m band ...
15120 KHZ on 19m band… 11770KHz ON 2m
VISION:
To become the international radio broadcasting station of first
choice for anyone genuinely interested in Nigeria and Africa.
MISSION:
Reflecting Nigerian and African perspectives in our broadcast …
winning and sustaining the attention, respect and goodwill of
listeners worldwide particularly Nigerians and Africans in the
Diaspora … making Nigeria’s voice to be heard more positively in the
shaping of our world.
IN THE BEGINNING …
VOICE OF NIGERIA (VON) came into existence in 1961 as the External
Service of the then Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC) which
later became the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN).
Growing from stage to stage, VON later metamorphosed into an
independent corporation on 5th January, 1990, when it was excised
from the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria by Decree Number 15 of
14th May, 1991 with retroactive effect.
The Decree stipulates that Voice of Nigeria:
“to the exclusion of any broadcasting authority or any other in
Nigeria, be responsible for broadcasting externally, by radio,
Nigeria’s view point - to any part of the world”.
OFFICES:
VON has its Corporate Headquarters in the Federal Capital Territory
at: 6th and 7th Floor, Radio House, Herbert
Macaulay Way, Garki, PMB 5089, Abuja, Nigeria.
In Lagos: Broadcasting House, Ikoyi. PMB 40003, Falomo, Lagos,
Nigeria and a transmitting station at Ipakodo, Ikorodu, Lagos,
Nigeria.
LANGUAGES OF BROADCAST:
English, Arabic, French, Kiswahili, Hausa, Fulfulde, Igbo and
Yoruba.
CORPORATE MISSION
According to Decree Number 15 of 14th May, 1991 which set up the
Corporation, the functions are to:
Provide as a public service, in the interest of Nigeria, radio
broadcasting services for global reception in such languages and at
such times as the Corporation may specify; erect, maintain and
operate radio transmitting and receiving stations; enter into
arrangements with the Federal or State Governments, companies,
information centres, charitable organisations, foreign bodies or
such other similar bodies for the purposes of obtaining information,
licenses, right or privilege; collect, receive, provide or subscribe
to the News Agency of Nigeria, news or information in any part of
the world and in the manner the Corporation deems fit; acquire
copyright; publish, print and reproduce any matter that may be
conducive to the performance of any of its functions and offer for
sale for commercial purpose any parts so published, printed or
reproduced; produce, manufacture, purchase and acquire tapes,
microphones, loud-speakers, gramophones, mechanical records and
other similar equipment; provide facilities for the training,
advancement and enhancement of the skill and efficiency of persons
employed in its services; and carry out such other activities as are
necessary or expedient for the full discharge of all or any of the
functions conferred on it under this Decree. Other Functions are
that:
The Corporation shall ensure that its services reflect views of
Nigeria as a Federation and give adequate expression to the culture,
characteristic, affairs and opinions of Nigeria.
The Corporation shall ensure that its news and programme enhance
Nigeria’s foreign policy and image.
STRUCTURE
Voice of Nigeria is a public service corporation and has full
subvention from the Federal Government of Nigeria. The law
establishing the Corporation provides for a two tier management, the
Board of Directors and the Board of Management as the executive arm
with the Director General as the Chief Executive Officer assisted by
Executive Directors, who are heads of various Directorates.
DIRECTORATES
There are Programmes, News, Engineering and Administration and
Finance Directorates. All the directorates work together to ensure
the mandate of VON is realised. In addition to these four
Directorates there are four Units in the Office of the Director –
General: Audit, Corporate Affairs, Legal Services and the IT Units.
BROADCASTING
Voice of Nigeria which started with prototype RCA 100KW HF
transmitters, installed and commissioned in 1963 graduated to Brown
Boveri Transmitters with antenna system in 1980. VON now has 250KW
Thomcast AG Transmitters and is installing digital transmitters with
rotating antennas at the new Transmission Station, Lugbe, FCT,
Abuja.
VON, through the News and Programmes Directorates, covers national
events comprehensively with Nigeria’s best interest in constant
view; it ascertains through news programmes and ideas that the
position of Nigeria is constantly and adequately reflected. It also
provides coverage of sub-regional, continental and international
events; ascertaining that human and material resources available to
the Corporation are adequately deployed to facilitate professional
news production.
At various times of the year, like during special religious and
political holidays and events, special programmes are produced to
mark the period. There is ‘Looking Back’ which is an annual recap
of events in the year.
DIGITAISATION
Voice of Nigeria commenced and operated for a long time on the
analogue module. The Olympia Typewriters, the colonial Ampex Studio
Recorders and the old and heavy Nagra machines were the features of
this corporation. However, digitisation has taken root in VON and
most of these broadcast equipment now adorn our small museum. VON
commenced with computerisation, this has made computer available on
almost all tables. Then digital studios were built by dismantling
the old analogue studios. In Abuja, new digital studios are being
built. Voice of Nigeria now has functional website
www.voiceofnigeria.org and audio streaming of programmes has
commenced.
ZONAL OFFICES
Voice of Nigeria was established to “Provide as a public service, in
the interest of Nigeria, radio broadcasting services for global
reception.” To achieve this mission, VON embarked on the
establishment of Zonal offices across the six geo-political zones of
the country. In the North West, Kano State hosts our zonal office
while Gombe State hosts VON in the North East. IN the South-South
geopolitical zone, Cross River State hosts VON in the hospitable
town of Calabar. Efforts are on to establish zonal offices in the
other zones.
VON ANNUAL ESSAY COMPETITION
From its inception in 1992, the Essay Competition was planned as an
annual affair. The topics selected are well thought out;
intellectually stimulating and topical to the events of the time.
The Competition has been on annually since 1992. It was rested in
1996 but came back in 2000. It is now being repackaged to meet the
current standard of VON
TRAINING & RE- TRAINING
Voice of Nigeria places a lot of emphasis on training and
retraining. The policy of the Corporation is to update the skills of
the staff to ensure optimum production. Training in VON is both at
the local and international level. Our staff have trained with
leading international stations like the BBC, RFI and Radio Deutsche
Welle. And this has made VON a ready source of staff for local and
international stations, talk of poaching. Indeed, training starts
in Voice of Nigeria with the regular In-House Induction Workshops
and Seminar. This properly situates new staff in the VON
perspective and apprises them on the needs of international
broadcasting. VON staff, on intern with international broadcasting
stations, have always been found to be in top form and well groomed.
PUBLICATIONS
The Corporation publishes its normal quarterly Programme Schedule
Booklets. However, the most important publication from VON’s stable
is “The Challenges of External Broadcasting” edited by Yaya Abubakar,
FSNB, FGE, mni (Director-General, VON) and late Justin Labinjoh,
PhD. The materials reflected in the book are from presentations,
deliberations and exchange of ideas during the in-house seminar
organised by Voice of Nigeria from 15th to 19th June, 1992 at the
Nigerian Institute of International Affairs, Lagos. Apart from the
fact that it appeals to general readers interested in broadcast
journalism, diplomacy, political science and sociology; it has
become a standard textbook for students of mass communications in
many tertiary institutions in Nigeria.
Voice of Nigeria also champions a quarterly magazine for the
broadcast industry, VONAIRWAVES. The magazine provides a forum for
intellectual and retired practitioners to bear their minds on issues
affecting broadcasting. They also provide incisive analysis of the
effects new policies of government have on broadcasting.
There is also a quarterly Newsletter which provides news on
developments within the house. VON recently published its House
Style, the first edition, which is meant to compliment the regular
in-house clinics.
PLANNING
Regularly, Voice of Nigeria organises Planning Conference where
programmes and activities of the corporation are reviewed. This
conference often focuses on the News and Programmes Directorate.
The planning conference comes up before every new programmes
schedule is worked out. Annually, however, a management retreat is
organised. It provides an opportunity to have a wholesome review of
the activities of the corporation, reposition the organisation to
meet new challenges and create a road map for the corporation’s
mission and vision amidst the new realities. The report of the 2005
VON Retreat has been printed because it was a landmark document
which the staff have titled Vision 2005 – 2010.
FEEDBACK - LISTENERS’ LETTERS
Voice of Nigeria is heard loud and clear all over the world and our
listeners attest to this. Listeners have an opportunity to feed us
back on our reception and general performance. In recent times,
especially with the improvement in IT services in Voice of Nigeria,
listeners have become more forthcoming with their comments. The
letters reflect appreciation for the services, advice on the sort of
programmes expected from VON and the general reception reports. The
reports come from all over the world.
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
Voice of Nigeria, as the sole agency for international broadcasting
in Nigeria, has also taken steps to have cordial relationship with
similar bodies all over the world. VON is currently having
memoranda of understanding with Radio France International, Radio
Deutsche Welle, and Radio Sudan. Several others are in the signing
stage while staff exchange with many of these stations has become a
regular practice. |
