Lifeline for govt-owned broadcast outlets in Niger

The Niger State Government has signed a Memorandum Of Understanding (MOU) with Ecalpemos Technology for the overhauling of the moribund state owned radio and television stations. The total overhauling of the two media houses is expected to cost the state government the sum of N663,433,900.

The state Commissioner of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Jonathan Tsado Vatsa, who signed on behalf of the government, said that this marked the beginning of better things for the two state owned media outfits, Radio Niger both FM/MW and Niger State Television (NSTV).

The commissioner said the AM station has been off air for almost seventeen years, assuring that the present administration has considered it necessary to re-position its media organisations to serve as a vital organs for propagating government programmes and policies.

He said the 25 per cent mobilisation fee for the contracts will be released within one week, adding that the radio stations will cost N334,989,600 while that of the television station will cost N328,634,300.

The Managing Director/CEO of the company, Olabanji Banwo gave the assurance that the work will be delivered within the stipulated period of six months if the state government did not reneged on its side.

Meanwhile the company has pledged to donate transmitters and studio to the Federal University of Technology (FUT) Campus Radio, Minna and Ibrahim Badamusi Babangida Universty (IBBU) Lapai as part of it’s Corporate Social Responsibility and therefore urged the two institutions to obtain license before they could benefit from the gesture.