Voice of Nigeria and the High Commission of Tanzania in Nigeria have reiterated their commitment to combat fake news in Nigeria and Africa through the sharing of credible news stories.
The commitment was made when the Director General of Voice of Nigeria, Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace and the VON delegation paid a courtesy visit to the Charge de Affaire of the Tanzania High Commission Ambassador Judica Nagunwa in Abuja, Nigeria.
Mallam Ndace said that VON was determined to collaborate with the High Commission and its counterpart in Tanzania, the Tanzania Broadcasting Corporation, TBC to tell citizens success stories and investments in both countries.
The DG VON said Africa must tell her own story by being deliberate about sharing good content from each country to fight fake news, misinformation and disinformation.
“We need to work together to tell Nigerian and African stories so that we can get the respectability that we desire. I’m going to be deliberate, I’m going to be unapologetic, truthful, sincere and very focused on telling the Nigeria and Africa story. We are not going to lie. But we are going to ensure that if something good happens in Tanzania we should be able to tell the world. If something good happens in Nigeria we should be able to tell the world”, he said.
Speaking on the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu, Mallam Ndace assured the Charge de Affaire of his intention to consolidate the Memorandum of Understanding, MoU signed during the tenure of the predecessor, Mr. Osita Okechukwu to foster mutually beneficial
Similarly, the Charge de Affaire of the Tanzania High Commission, Judica Nagunwa echoed the DG’s stand in telling the African story through the African perspective.
Amb. Nagunwa said the High Commission will continue to provide Diaspora to assist in the development of the Swahili Language Broadcast on the radio broadcast of Voice of Nigeria.
“We are ever ready. One of our core missions is to strengthen the bilateral relations between Tanzania and Nigeria. And how we strengthen it, is in different ways. Now we are strengthening our relationship with Nigeria”, she said.
She assured the VON delegation that the High Commission and TBC are committed to the MOU and are ready to enforce it soonest.
The DG VON and the Charge de Affaire agreed to enforce the exchange programme that will see the exchange of staff from VON and TBC to share best practices and content and to rebrand the Swahili broadcast section of Voice of Nigeria.
Also, there was an agreement to collaborate in the celebration of the Swahili language day on the 7th of July this year.
Dominica Nwabufo
