The People’s Republic of Tanzania has pledged to boost its bilateral and economic relations with Nigeria.
The pledge was made by the Tanzania High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr. Benson Alfred Bana at the launch of Swahili language studies for Voice of Nigeria staff in Abuja, Nigeria.
Highlighting the investments that Nigerians have in Tanzania and how it has impacted the Tanzanian economy, Dr. Bana said the Swahili language growth across Africa would foster cultural diplomacy.
Dr. Bana said that “all that we do are basically aimed to take the Tanzania/Nigeria bilateral ties to great heights. And we hope that this collaboration, is the collaboration of purpose”.
The Tanzanian High commissioner pledged his commitment to ensuring that the mandate of Voice of Nigeria to broadcast in the African perspective is achieved through broadcast in Swahili.
Meanwhile, the Director General, Voice of Nigeria, VON, Mr. Osita Okechukwu commended the disposition of the Tanzanian High Commissioner to the promotion of the Swahili language for the Continent’s socio-economic growth.
“We are immensely grateful because for us any addition to the core mandate of Voice of Nigeria to tell the Nigeria and Africa story, because we are told if we don’t tell our own story, somebody somewhere else or some group will narrate their own story, their own way and by the time you start reacting, it will take time for recovery.
“For us who remain a reference point for what is going on in Nigeria and Africa, why re we a reference point? Because we make sure that we do not sectionalize our stories. We do not add, we do not subtract,” Mr. Okechukwu said.
Also, the Executive Director News, Voice of Nigeria, Mr. Ahaziah Suleiman said that Swahili as an official language of the African Union was the language for the promotion of African unity.
Mr. Suleiman assured the forum that in the training of VON staff in the use of the Swahili language, broadcast in Swahili would get better.
The Deputy Director Training, Folashade Olatunbosun, representing the Director Training, Hajiya Hauwa Ajeje, said language studies cuts across all barriers; ages, gender, and physical boundaries.
The collaboration between the Tanzanian High Commission and Voice of Nigeria would see some staff of Voice of Nigeria get training on Swahili language.
It would be recalled that Voice of Nigeria and the Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation have a Memorandum of Understanding fostering the dissemination of news on the African perspective to the world bolstered by the Tanzanian High commission.
Confidence Okwuchi
