World Radio Day : Radio creates more access to education-UNICEF
By, Temitope Mustapha, Abuja
UNICEF Nigeria Education Specialist, Azuka Menkiti says Radio is expanding access to education and creating more opportunities to quality learning.
Menkiti , said this in a telephone interview with Voice of Nigeria Education Correspondent, on the occasion of 2021 World Radio Day.
She stated that engaging radio for learning has created a new world and it showcases the new role radio plays beyond dissemination of news and entertainment.
According to Menkiti, “before now radio was mostly known for entertainment and dissemination of News but Covid-19 pandemic and the school lockdown has brought out a more significant role that Radio could play “
The Education Specialist, explained that the 2021World Radio Day’s theme : New World New Radio, portrays the hidden and unnoticed role that radio plays and could play in ensuring access to quality learning, the theme is apt, its pointing out the importance of radio, it has come up to show it significance in ensuring that learning continues in any situation, the theme is an interesting theme which is raising consciousness and awareness on other areas in that radio has been used to add value to human development.
“During the peak of Covid-19 pandemic , when schools were closed everybody quickly went to the Radio , In Nigeria during the lockdown all stakeholders were concerned about learning,it did not stop, despite that children were at home, learning continued via radio, UNICEF organised stakeholders to consider strategies through which Radio stations could help while children were at home, that worked so well for us” she said.
New Initiatives
Menkiti stressed that the Covid-19 Pandemic presented opportunities for new initiative further positioning radio as a source and channel of learning.
She added that the Covid-19 has revealed the New world in radio and also has shown other ways that the world can use radio to improve mankind and development of human being
Speaking on facilitating learning through radio for Girls and Adults during the pandemic,the UNICEF Specialist stated that UNICEF reached out to many girls in the rural communities than ever possible via radio.
“As soon as COVID 19 surfaced and schools were closed , UNICEF translated some aspect of the curriculum into audio and that was how we started broadcasting through radio stations , we realised that radio has widest reach of listeners ,it became a viable channel to reach the girl who sits in rural community even when the teacher/facilitator broadcasts from a particular location, we were sure that the girl who would have been sent out on different house chores is allowed to sit for about two hours in the house within the pandemic to learn”
“For the adult, the radio literacy programme was consistent in reaching them so radio has helped in reaching out to those who were not able to attend lectures in the classroom,” she said.
In her message, the Director General of UNESCO, Audrey Azoulay , stated that the theme of 2021 World Radio Day highlights the services rendered by the radio medium throughout the health crisis.
The 10th edition of World Radio Day also created an opportunity to celebrate the resilience of radio, its evolution and constant adaptation for over a century to societal changes Proclaimed in 2011 by the Member States of UNESCO ,and adopted by the UNGA in 2012 as an International Day , while February 13th became World Radio Day.
On the occasion of World Radio Day 2021, UNESCO called on radio stations to celebrate the event’s 10th anniversary and the more than 110 years of radio.
Confidence Okwuchi
