Nigerian Vice President Namadi Sambo yesterday officially commissioned the new shortwave station of the Voice of Nigeria (VON) at Lugbe, a suburb of the capital city, Abuja. At the event, VON Director General Mallam Abubakar Jijjiwa said the organization would need two additional super-power transmitters and two more antennas to compete favourably with its counterparts around the world.
Mr Jijiwa said the ‘state of the art’ transmitting station, equipped with DRM-capable 250 kW Thomcast AG transmitters and rotating antennas, is the first of its kind in Sub-Sahara Africa. Monday’s commissioning makes Voice of Nigeria the second shortwave station in Africa and the seventh in the world with rotating antennas.
Mallam Jijiwa hinted that Voice of Nigeria would soon establish an international television station as part of the station’s mandate to project Africa’s view to the world.
On Monday, the Voice of Nigeria commissioned an ultra-modern digital studio in Abuja, as part of efforts to enhance its broadcast. The new studio, commissioned by the Minister of Information, Labaran Maku, is named after Mrs Stella Bassey, a seasoned broadcaster and former Deputy Director, Programmes of the Voice of Nigeria.
Commending Voice of Nigeria for its quality broadcasting, Mr Maku urged the radio station not to relent in its efforts to maintain world class broadcast standards. Director General Mallam Abubakar Jijiwa said the station had a culture of rewarding hard work. He said the studio was named after Stella Bassey because of her immense contributions to the corporation and the country in the area of broadcasting.
(R Netherlands Media Network Weblog)