The Director General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace, has reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to strengthening its Swahili Service, described it as “a bridge between Nigeria and the East African region.”
He made the statement while receiving the Tanzanian High Commissioner to Nigeria, His Excellency Selestine Gervas Kakele, during a courtesy visit to the VON Corporate Headquarters in Abuja.
Welcoming the High Commissioner and his delegation, Mallam Ndace noted that the visit was a reflection of the enduring diplomatic and cultural ties between Nigeria and Tanzania. He said VON, as Nigeria’s official international broadcasting station, remains dedicated to projecting African stories in African voices, with Swahili playing a vital role in connecting West and East Africa.
“We are honoured to receive Your Excellency here at Voice of Nigeria. This visit reinforces the strong and growing diplomatic and media relationship between our two countries,” he stated. “We are particularly proud of our Swahili Service, which continues to serve as a bridge between Nigeria and the East African region.”
The DG highlighted the productive partnership between VON and the Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation (TBC), citing the success of a staff exchange initiative that has enhanced collaboration and knowledge-sharing. He specifically commended TBC’s Mr Ramadhan Mpenda for his contributions to VON’s Swahili Service and announced that a senior VON reporter will soon be deployed to Tanzania as part of the continuing programme.
He further assured the High Commissioner of VON’s active participation in the upcoming Kiswahili Day celebration on July 7, which is being organised in partnership with the Tanzanian High Commission and UNESCO. Describing the event as a “must-attend” for broadcasters committed to linguistic diversity, he underscored its importance in promoting African cultural identity.
In his remarks, H.E. Kakele expressed appreciation to the VON leadership for the warm reception and reaffirmed Tanzania’s commitment to strengthening media cooperation with Nigeria. He praised VON for its continued broadcast in Kiswahili and described the bilateral media relationship as a model of South–South cooperation.
“The partnership between VON and TBC is a great example of how African nations can collaborate for mutual development,” the High Commissioner said.
The visit concluded with renewed pledges from both sides to deepen collaboration and enhance the role of media in uniting the African continent.
