VON DG Counts Blessings: ‘2 Years Of Purposeful Service’

By Musa Kutama, Calabar

The Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Alhaji Jibrin Baba Nadache has said that it means a lot for him, having successfully spent two years throwing more weight into the broadcasting hub of the station.

Marking the two years of progress and achievements in office on Sunday, he noted: “Today, 19th October 2025, marks exactly two years since I was appointed as the Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria by His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR”.

Alhaji Nadache said over the past 24 months, our focus has remained clear and unwavering – to fix the Voice of Nigeria for prosperity and progress. This mission aligns with the ideals of our founding fathers to position Nigeria and Africa by shaping a positive narrative for the continent and becoming a leading international broadcaster.”

Taken from the cradle of VON leadership under his auspices, the DG added: “From the onset, we set out to reposition VON into a modern, professional, and globally respected public service broadcaster, driven by national interest and guided by operational excellence.

“In just two years, we have made meaningful progress.

With the invaluable support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, and the Honourable Minister of Information and National Orientation, Alhaji Mohammed Idris, fnipr, we have commenced the restoration of our 250KW Digital Radio Mondiale (DRM) transmitter. This marks a critical step in returning Nigeria to the global shortwave broadcasting space and significantly expanding our reach across Africa and beyond”.

Counting few among the success, he revealed that “we have strengthened our international collaborations and initiated discussions to introduce Mandarin-language broadcasting as part of our multilingual expansion strategy. Our vision is clear: to make VON a bridge between Africa and the world, telling Nigeria’s story in more voices and to a wider audience.

“As part of our commitment to engagement and brand visibility, we launched the Voice of Nigeria Forum ( VON FORUM ) and successfully hosted the first VON Management Retreat in over a decade. These strategic platforms continue to position VON as a thought leader in the media and public communication landscape while fostering an informed, motivated, and forward-looking workforce.

“At the retreat, we signed performance bonds with directors and introduced professional development programmes in key areas including artificial intelligence, corporate risk management, and digital content innovation. We also reaffirmed our commitment to staff welfare through the consistent payment of the 13th-month salary, because we believe our people remain our greatest asset”.

The DG showered encomium on his subjects in the office, promising to rededicate himself for the progress and success of the radio station. “I remain grateful to the dedicated management and staff of VON who have embraced change with resilience, professionalism, and shared purpose. Your commitment is the foundation of our achievements.

“To all our esteemed partners including the Nigerian Armed Forces, security and critical institutions, our sister agencies under the Ministry of Information and National Orientation, embassies, and diplomatic missions, thank you for your consistent support and partnership.

“I also extend heartfelt appreciation to my family, friends, mentors, mentees, and well-wishers whose constant encouragement continues to inspire this mission.

“To the leadership of RATTAWU, NUJ, SSANU, NIPR, NGE, other unions and professional bodies, thank you for your constructive engagement and commitment to institutional development.

He continued this: “Two years on, our journey is only just beginning. We will continue to strengthen this foundation, deepen institutional reforms, expand our platforms, and invest in our people,” Alhaji Jibrin Baba Nadache declared further.

“This is our promise. This is our commitment. We are here to fix the Voice of Nigeria and we will continue to pursue our 3Ps strategic focus on People, Platform and Partnership by strengthening platforms, expanding partnerships, and investing in people, all in pursuit of the national interest,” he emphasized while acknowledging the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration.