, Jibrin Ndace, and the Ethiopian Ambassador to Nigeria, Legesse Haile..){kind=link}
The Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Jibrin Ndace, and the Ethiopian Ambassador to Nigeria, Legesse Haile, have pledged to deepen cooperation to promote media diplomacy across Africa.
The pledge was made during a courtesy visit by the VON Director-General to the Ethiopian Ambassador in Abuja.
Ndace reaffirmed VON’s mandate to project the positive narrative of Nigeria and Africa to the world.
He noted the Corporation’s commitment to deepening diplomatic relations with the Ethiopian government and the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation.
“We believe that no matter what we do as nations, if we don’t collectively work together and be deliberate about how our stories are told, nobody will know about those positive stories,” he said.
Citing VON’s existing bilateral media partnerships across Africa, Ndace encouraged Ethiopia to key into similar initiatives, stressing the importance of amplifying success stories from both nations.
“If good things are happening in Ethiopia, let Nigerians know. And if good things are happening in Nigeria, let Ethiopians know. It is not when an Ethiopian has done something negative that the world will know. Many Nigerians are doing well in Ethiopia, let the world know,” he stated.
Ambassador Haile commended VON for its role as a strong driver of pan-Africanism and pledged Ethiopia’s commitment to work with the Ethiopian Broadcasting Corporation in amplifying positive narratives.
Highlighting recent achievements by the Ethiopian government, the Ambassador underscored the importance of formalising such partnerships.
“We must have some understanding, we have a document that we can sign after meeting and discussing. There will be an opportunity to sign an agreement that will help the exchange of information so that the media can defend the interests of Africa, not just the interests of Nigeria and Ethiopia, but also the interests of the continent,” Haile said.