The Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, today flagged off the contract for the restoration of the Voice of Nigeria’s shortwave transmission using the 250KW TX2 transmitter at the Lugbe transmitting station.
Speaking at the event, the minister, who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Mr. Ogbodo Chinasa Nnam, described the milestone as a “significant moment in the history of the Voice of Nigeria, as we commence the revival of the largest and most powerful transmitting station on the African continent now equipped with the most modern, digitally compatible technology.”
The minister expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for his vision and commitment to the modernization of Nigeria’s broadcasting infrastructure.
According to him, “As we take this giant step to flag off the contract for the restoration of Voice of Nigeria’s shortwave transmission using the 250KW superpower transmitter, it is appropriate to express our profound appreciation to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, for his vision and commitment toward the restoration and modernization of the broadcasting infrastructure of the Voice of Nigeria.”
He assured Nigerians that the reactivated VON transmitters would transform the nation’s broadcasting landscape.
“Upon completion of this project, the fully reactivated VON transmitters will transform the landscape of terrestrial broadcasting and position VON as a respected brand in global radio broadcasting for good,” he said.
Calling on Confax Nigeria Limited, the contractor, to deliver quality and timely execution, the Minister stressed: “I therefore urge the contractor to not only execute the contract within the agreed timeline but also to ensure that the highest standards and quality are maintained and clearly evident.”
He also charged the VON technical team to demonstrate diligence and competence in overseeing the project.
Idris expected VON to continue to uphold its policy of being a pro-Nigeria and pan-African station dedicated to telling the positive stories coming out of Nigeria and the African continent.
The minister declared: “It is now my honour to formally flag off the contract for the restoration of Voice of Nigeria’s shortwave transmission using the 250KW superpower transmitter.”
Nigeria established VON in 1961 as the External Service of the then Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation (NBC), which later became the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN).
It was the importance commissioned by the Prime Minister, Sir Abubakar Tafawa Balewa, with a 10KW HF transmitter which broadcast programmes for two hours a day.
