By Nsan Ndoma-Neji, Calabar
Voice of Nigeria, VON, and the Cross River State government have restated their commitment to professional broadcasting as a tool for national unity and development.
The made vow during the 82nd General Assembly of the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria, BON, that was declared open Calabar yesterday.
Director-General of VON, Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace, stated that the assembly is significant because it brings together institutions that have shaped Nigeria’s broadcasting landscape since 1973, adding that BON’s history reflects the industry’s recognition of the need for collaboration and collective voice.
Tracing VON’s evolution from the External Service of the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation to an autonomous international broadcaster in the early 1990s, Ndace said the organisation now broadcasts in nine languages which include, English, Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, Fulfulde, Kiswahili, French, Arabic and Mandarin with Mandarin added in 2026 to connect Nigeria and Africa to Chinese-speaking audiences.
He stressed that the multilingual approach reflects Nigeria’s diversity and positions broadcasting as “an instrument of cultural diplomacy and international understanding,” stressing that stories are most powerful when told in languages audiences identify with.
The Cross River State Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Pastor Ekpenyong Cobham, said tgat5 at a time when Artificial Intelligence is redefining content creation and misinformation travels faster than truth, credibility remains the greatest currency of broadcasting.
Cobham, who spoke on behalf of Governor Bassey Otu, alongside the state deputy governor, Dr Peter Odey said that the administration has demonstrated commitment to professional broadcasting by revamping CRBC Radio and Television from diesel-dependent operations to hybrid solar-powered systems.
Others include upgrading obsolete equipment and reviving the Nigerian Chronicle Newspapers and the state printing press as part of deliberate policy to rebuild state information assets.
Earlier the governor of Cross River State, Bassey Otu, who declared the event open, urged the BON to enforce professional standards and develop frameworks for ethical broadcasting, warning that irresponsible and poorly verified content deepens polarisation and harms young people.
Represented by the state deputy governor, Dr Odey, Otu said that his administration is media-friendly and has upgraded CRBC with new 1kW TV and 10kW and 2kW radio transmitters, 33kVA substation, modern software, paperless newsroom and staff training at FRCN Lagos to strengthen timely information delivery and citizen engagement.
