edition-dw-akademie-in-the-service-of-the-public-functions-and-transformation-of-media-in-developing-countries-pdf

Part III Nigeria: Freedom Radio, an African Private Public Service RadioThe equally long-running program about HIV/Aids has alreadybeen mentioned in another context. There is also a programestablished with the specific purpose of enhancing women’sparticipation in society and enabling them to discuss theirissues. The program has a female anchor and invites mainlyfemale guests – women entrepreneurs, those involved in localpolitics, as well as ‘ordinary’ women. 89 A program produced byBBC Media Watch and re-broadcast by Freedom Radio concentrateson the difficult subject of pregnancy and childbirth – therate of death in childbirth and infant mortality in this part ofNigeria is extraordinarily high.Another very popular program is known as One God, DifferentTowns (in Hausa) and is a kind of travelogue. Kano isa hub for this region of Nigeria and people from all over theworld travel through or to the city. Every week a reporter goesout into the city and talks to people from different parts of theworld. He asks them to describe where they come from, habitsand customs peculiar to their own place of origin, or to talkabout their travels. 90Specifically educational programs are rarer: There is a longrunningprogram that takes up various themes in an educationalcontext, Learning By Ear, provided for re-broadcast byDeutsche Welle. The Kano outlet has a creative writing programon a Sunday morning.A glance at the program schedule shows the variety of theoutlet’s programming: There is a Top Ten countdown, a reggaeslot and a slot called Musical Express. There is Hausa classicalmusic, Arabic music and, as stated, francophone music. Thereare sports broadcasts, including English Premier League soccer.The station was one of the first to include a weather forecastin its schedule – and winds it up with the phrase “by theGrace of God.” This, says an observer, helps convey respect forthe local culture and mentality. 91Apart from an innovative approach to programming –particularly debate programs, as mentioned – the station hasalso led the way in technical innovation, introducing apps foriPhone and smartphones on its website, live streaming facilities,and the use of social media networks such as Twitter.Achievements and ChallengesThe main challenge facing any media outfit in Nigeria today isthe climate of intransigence and intolerance that permeatessociety at the level of governance. Corruption is endemic andthere is no real recourse to rule of law, nor any reliability inthe status quo. This has proved to be a major problem for theoperation of Freedom Radio on several occasions in the past,when they have found themselves at odds with the NBC.The other main challenge, and closely bound up with theaforementioned, is the extremely difficult environment thatjournalists have to work in. Journalism is a dangerous professionin Nigeria, and many journalists do whatever they have toin order to get through. The kind of persecution they face “isnonetheless also indicative of the immense power that jour-nalists still wield as watchdogs. They make it possible for thepopulation to see and hear, and they make sense out of scrapsof information, fashioning it into something intelligible to alland thereby maintaining their importance.” 92This is a power which Freedom Radio seems to have beenable to tap, and by eliciting the support of a broad public, theyhave been able to carve a niche for themselves which neithercorruption nor bullying has been able to greatly encroach upon.Nigeria experienced its most credible election to date in2011. A freedom of information act which was a decade in themaking was finally signed into law in May 2011 and not onlyare the people of Nigeria becoming increasingly aware of theirentitlements, they are being supported in this by a growingnumber of media outlets and by the country’s unhesitatingembracing of social media.Nonetheless, as far as the country’s media are concerned,and the improvement of conditions for its professionals, thereare still massive reforms to be initiated:“People in many parts of rural Africa remain reliant on thestate broadcaster ... This may take some time to change, becausethe poor have little purchasing power. As a consequence,the poor can be ‘squeezed out’ of the programming content ofcommercial radio stations, and commercial outlets see littlefinancial gain in reaching remote areas.” 93Freedom Radio has achieved a great deal in convincing avery observant stakeholder sector in the country that commercialoutlets can overcome this apparent shortcoming andmake a worthwhile contribution. The broadcaster has gainedthe loyalty and support of a broad segment of the population,a circumstance which allows it to wield an impressive amountof power. It provides staff as far as possible with regular trainingand up-to-date equipment – both basics which are otherwisesingularly lacking in the media sector.75Prof. Dr. Abdallah Uba Adamu,Dept. of Mass Communications,Bayero University Kano.76Ibid.77Faruk Dalhatu, Managing DirectorFreedom Radio,Board of Directors.78Ibid.79Punch, February 7, 2014.80Faruk Dalhatu, ManagingDirector Freedom Radio,Board of Directors.81Ibid.82Prof. Dr. Abdallah Uba Adamu,Dept. of Mass Communications,Bayero University Kano.83Ibid.84European Union Election ObservationMission to Nigeria 2007, 25.85European Union Election ObservationMission to Nigeria 2011, 34.86Faruk Dalhatu, Managing DirectorFreedom Radio, Boardof Directors. See also FreedomRadio Website.87Umar Saidu Tudunwada,General Manager Operations,Freedom Radio.88Faruk Dalhatu, Managing DirectorFreedom Radio,Board of Directors.89Ibid.90Prof. Dr. Abdallah Uba Adamu,Dept. of Mass Communications,Bayero University Kano.91Ibid.92Reporters Without Borders 2014.93Milligan & Mytton 2009, 492.Edition DW Akademie In the Service of the Public 193