Voice of Nigeria

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). Given the importance attached to external broadcasting the late Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa commissioned a 10KW HF transmitter which broadcast programmes for two hours a day. The broadcast was mainly targeted at West Africa in English and French languages. In 1962, two years into its operation – its relevance became more registered as 40 hectares of land was acquired by the Government at Ipakodo, Ikorodu for a befitting transmitting station for an external broadcasting service. Five prototype RCA 100KW HF transmitters were installed and commissioned in 1963. In the same year, to further extend the reach and impact of Voice of Nigeria on the international scene, Arabic programmes were introduced just as the broadcast hours were increased to six hours per day. When Show more Nigeria hosted the 2nd World Festival of Arts and Culture in 1977 (FESTAC 77), a Marconi prototype 350KW HF transmitter was added to boost world-wide reception of events during the festival. Nigeria’s growing role in Africa, and indeed the world, made it mandatory for Voice of Nigeria to embark on a wider coverage of the world. Thus in 1980, five additional Brown Boveri Transmitters with antenna systems were commissioned in Ikorodu. With that, separate services – North Africa and Overseas; West Africa; Central and Southern Africa Services were introduced and they broadcast simultaneously to their target areas in the following languages – English, French, Hausa, Arabic, German and Ki-Swahili. Voice of Nigeria remained the external service of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN), growing in strength and scope, until it metamorphosed into an independent Corporation on 5th January, 1990. VON was excised from the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria by Decree Number 15 of 14th May, 1991 with retroactive effect and set up operations in Broadcasting House, Falomo, Ikoyi Lagos, Nigeria, under the leadership of Mallam Yaya Abubakar, mni, the first Director-General of the independent VON. While the administrative headquarters is in Abuja, the Federal Capital, News, and Programmes emanate from both the Lagos and Abuja studios. The Corporate Headquarters moved to Abuja in 1995, while broadcasting started in Abuja in 1998. In 2012, VON commissioned another state of the art multi-billion naira transmitting station in Lugbe, Abuja. The Corporation has since 2015 experienced tremendous expansion and development in areas of operations, equipment, manpower, and resources under the leadership of Mr. OsitaOkechukwu, the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer.