Voice of America Launches New Digital Broadcasting Center in Kano, Nigeria

The Voice of America on Feb. 16 launched a new digital broadcasting center in Kano, Nigeria, which will enable journalists to report on health issues, Nigeria's This Day reports. VOA will use the center -- which is funded through a $310,000 grant from USAID -- to broadcast regional Hausa-language programming, including a weekly health-oriented youth radio program, and it also will serve as the base for five VOA reporters, according to This Day (Adoba, This Day, 2/19). "This is part of a 20-year program to get information, particularly on health programs, to the people of Kano as well as all of northern Nigeria," Dawn Liberi, USAID's country mission director for Nigeria said, adding, "The whole purpose of setting up a studio is to enable journalists to report on polio, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, safe water, other childhood immunizations and basic childcare." The reporting center, which has been operational since 2004, also will be used as a training center for journalists and journalism students, according to a VOA release. VOA's Huasa service was founded in 1979 and reaches about 18 million people, primarily in Nigeria (Voice of America release, 2/16).