The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) is to launch a mentorship and internship scheme for the next generation of West African journalists.
Jamie Angus, Director of the BBC World Service, announced the plan at the launch of the station’s new bureau in Lagos, home to three new services in Igbo, Pidgin, and Yoruba.
He said the scheme is a further investment in the region by the station in addition to creating over 100 new jobs in Lagos.
“This is part of BBC’s contribution to the growth of media best practice and professionalism in Nigeria, and the fight against ‘Fake News’ – and we’ll benefit from the young journalists’ insight into West Africa.
“The World Service delivers accurate, impartial and independent news to all countries. We spot the stories, see the patterns and make sense of your world. We promise to remain your most trusted source of news in the years to come,” Angus stated.
The new bureau boasts of a new state-of-the-art TV studio and two radio studios and can house up to 200 people.
The availability of BBC News in five languages across Nigeria (Igbo, Pidgin, Yoruba, Hausa and English), is said to be the biggest expansion of the BBC World Service since 1940s.
Head of West Africa Bureau, Oluwatoyosi Ogunseye promised that the station will “be big on original journalism that impacts the lives of Nigerians at home and abroad.”
“We are expanding our editorial offer to cover politics, culture, business, health, investigations, among others.
“We will focus more on young people and women, ensuring that we cover Nigeria and the whole of West Africa like never before. We’ll remain true to our ideals and values of objectivity, truth and impartiality, ” Ogunseye stated.
BBC News in Igbo, Pidgin, and Yoruba reports on stories affecting the lives of audiences across the region, and is available online and on social media. There is also a 60-second audio round-up, BBC Minute, twice daily.
The Service is also joining forces with Channels Television on Connect Africa, a new weekly half hour programme in English which will launch later this year. This will be a live current affairs show focusing on the stories behind the news, with audience interaction via social media and from a studio audience.
Later this year, BBC is launching more new TV programming for Africa in English, Hausa, French and Swahili, and some of the TV teams will join the Lagos bureau. This will include programmes about sports, business, and entertainment, satire, a women’s programme, a programme for 10-16 year olds, and investigative documentaries.
This will offer other local independent producers the chance to be involved in co-productions and BBC commissions.
The BBC’s international news currently has an audience of 36m in Nigeria, the largest of any country.
