Voice of America (VOA) Hausa Service

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Women at a VOA organized town hall meeting
Women at a VOA organized town hall meeting promoting girl education in Sokoto, northern Nigeria. Photography by Mohammed Haladu

Since 2004, the Voice of America (VOA) Hausa Service has received funding from USAID to support targeted reporting from Nigeria’s northern states. VOA reaches over 25 million people throughout Nigeria, with a special focus on the North, broadcasting information on maternal and child health, child survival, reproductive health, family planning, malaria, polio and HIV/AIDS. VOA produces and broadcasts public service messages, radio and TV programs, and conducts town hall meetings in various communities. The radio messages promote child-spacing, polio and routine immunizations, and offer practical solutions to reducing maternal mortality, malaria and malnutrition.

 At its Kano and Abuja Reporting Centers, VOA produces and broadcasts programs such as “Karamin Sani” (Little Knowledge is a Danger), a half-hour health program that airs twice weekly and the once weekly health magazine “Lafiya Uwar Jiki” (Health is Wealth). These broadcasts provide health information and promote healthy lifestyles among Hausa speaking communities in northern Nigeria. Content is generated from reports and interviews with health experts, panel discussions, town hall meetings, grassroots summits and village health forums. In addition, VOA builds the capacity of journalists by training them on how to effectively report health issues.
 
To ensure sustainability, VOA produces and broadcasts programs with national and international broadcasters and journalists.  VOA activities are also designed and implemented to create public understanding of political and social issues, increase expectations of accountability from public officials, in particular the importance of fair and credible elections. 

PROGRAM SNAPSHOT

  • Project Name: Voice of America Hausa Service
  • Partner: Voice of America International Broadcasting Bureau
  • Annual Budget: $300,000
  • Life of Activity: 2001-2012
  • Geographic Focus: The 19 Northern States of Nigeria