By NEWS AGENCY OF NIGERIA
The Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Malam Jibrin Baba-Ndace has offered it platform to the Nigerian Communication Satellite Limited (NIGCOMSAT) to enlighten citizens and global community on the good works of the company.
Baba-Ndace presented the offer when he and his management team paid a courtesy visit to the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the agency, Mrs Nkechi Egerton-Idehen on in Abuja.
“We are here to thank you for all that you are doing and to also say that, as government organisations, we need to work together and enlighten the citizens and global community of the good works that you are doing.
“VON was established to focus on building positive narratives about Nigeria, Nigerians, African and Africans. It is important for us to be delibrate and intentional in projecting the positive narratives in the country.
“People need to know the good things happening in NIGCOMSAT, especially now that we have a president and Commander-in-Chief that is courageous and bold in projecting Nigeria.
“We project positive narrative in eight languages such as Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Fulfulde, Arabic, French, English and Swahili and hoping to start broadcasting in Portuguese and other languages in Asia.
“We offer you a weekly programme to project your activities. It could be 30 minutes or more. Once you get VON, your activities will be broadcast in the eight languages. You need to let the world know what you are doing,” Baba-Ndace said.
The VON boss also requested Egerton-Idehen to help his organisation with linkages to improve its broadcast, adding that, while NIGCOMSAT control the air space, VON control the air waves.
“We also want to work with you to address fake news, misinformation and disinformation. Nigeria is not the worst country in the world, we have good things happening here”.
Responding , the NIGCOMSAT boss said there is need for Nigerians to own their narratives and tell their stories by themselves.
“We want to do more, and am happy, because, you are here. We need collaboration, not only with private but government organisations. We cannot put a satellite without your support.
“NIGCOMSAT is about to do great things, but the challenges we face is fake news, misinformation and disinformation. So, we need to collaborate and be ahead all the time.
“Nigeria is the only country in West Africa that have satellite in the space. We have over 200 staff here and we are doing the work without foreigners working with us.
“We have people working behind the scene to help the military in Zamfara and Borno. We need to tell the story so that people would understand what we are doing.
“We are open to partnership with you. If there is any way we can help you in broadcast, transmission and other areas, we will do it. There is so much we can do,” Egerton-Idehen said. (NAN)