By Umar Danladi Ado, Sokoto
The Kebbi State Government has secured strategic media partnerships following an advocacy and familiarization visit by the Governor’s Media Team to leading national and international broadcast organizations in Lagos.
The delegation, led by the Commissioner for Information, Yakubu Ahmed BK, visited Channels Television, the BBC, Radio France International (RFI), TVC Communications and Arise Television.
The visit aimed to strengthen collaboration in promoting the state’s development initiatives and enhancing public communication.
According to a statement by the Special Adviser on Communication and Strategy to the Kebbi State Governor, Abdullahi Idris Sadaukin Zuru, the engagements resulted in commitments from the media organizations to support the administration of Governor Nasir Idris through increased publicity for government programmes, capacity building for journalists and educational initiatives.
One of the major outcomes of the visit was the BBC’s commitment to provide free professional training for journalists nominated by the Kebbi State Government at the Channels Academy in Abuja.
The training is expected to enhance journalists’ skills in promoting democratic values, accountability and good governance.
The BBC also expressed willingness to consider Kebbi State for a specialized radio phone-in education programme designed to reach different categories of children, with the aim of addressing the challenge of out-of-school children.
All five media organizations pledged to provide wider coverage of Kebbi State’s development programmes through their broadcast stations and digital platforms, citing the progress recorded under Governor Nasir Idris’ administration.
During a visit to the Abuja office of Radio France International, the Head of Bureau, Joseph Penney, and the Hausa Service Editor, Bashir Ibrahim Idris, acknowledged Kebbi State’s rich tourism potential and promised to support efforts to promote the state as a destination for foreign tourists and investors.
RFI also expressed readiness to support sports development in the state, including considering a request by the Commissioner for Information for assistance to Gwandu United Football Club, similar to its previous support for Kano Pillars Football Club.
At separate meetings with Arise Television and TVC Communications, both organizations outlined strategies for building sustainable partnerships that would ensure effective media coverage and greater public engagement.
Yakubu Ahmed BK reaffirmed the Kebbi State Government’s commitment to leveraging Arise Television’s expertise in television broadcasting and digital journalism, while also partnering with TVC to strengthen public awareness and assess the impact of government projects across the state.
The Commissioner thanked the media organizations for their warm reception and assured them of the government’s readiness to continue working with credible media institutions to effectively tell the Kebbi development story.
