At an auspicious event, Shehu of Borno State officially launches Radio Ndarason FM 88.5 Maiduguri, which aims to promote Kanuri cultural heritage and socioeconomic development – as well as peace, unity and stability throughout the Lake Chad Basin region.

December 13 proved to be a momentous day in Maiduguri, Borno State, when Radio Ndarason FM 88.5 Maiduguri was officially launched.

The radio station will broadcast largely in the Kanuri language. It aims to promote the cultural heritage and socioeconomic development – as well as peace, unity and stability – not only in Borno State but also throughout the Lake Chad Basin region.

His Royal Highness, the Shehu of Borno State, Abubakar Ibn Umar Garba Al-Amin El-Kanemi, with David Smith, the executive director of Radio Ndarason Internationale (RNI), and other dignatories looking on, cut the ribbon, officially launching Ndarason FM radio 88.5 Maiduguri.

Radio is an important and vital medium to keep local inhabitants informed about counterinsurgency operations and peace efforts in the Lake Chad Basin region.
The Shehu of Borno said in his keynote address in the Kanuri language that Kanem Borno had been in existence for the past 1,500 years.

“The good people of Borno are well known for their strong Islamic religion, education, resilience, perseverance, sense of peace and hospitality, as well as their thriving agricultural production. These are some of the factors that have kept Borno State a strong and crucial part of Nigeria.

“The Almighty Allah has brought us Radio Ndarason here in Borno State. I strongly urge the good people of the state to support the newly established and commissioned radio station. It will broadcast in the Kanuri, Kanembu and Buduma languages not only in Borno but also throughout the Lake Chad Basin region.”

The Shehu said that the issue of insecurity in Borno State, as well as the rest of the Lake Chad Basin region, had been destined by Almighty Allah and it was for that reason that the inhabitants should always seek divine intervention for sustainable peace and stability throughout the region.

He urged inhabitants to support the military and other security operatives in the ongoing counterinsurgency operations by providing relevant information and intelligence about any suspicious people, movements or objects.
On behalf of the entire Kanuri community across the world, the Shehu thanked RNI’s management for establishing Ndarason FM in Maiduguri and wished them Allah’s guidance and protection.

Major-General Ibrahim Sallau Ali, the commander of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), told those who attended the launch that the main office of Radio Ndarason Internationale was in N’Djamena, Chad, based in the premises of the MNJTF office.

“This is a great symbol of synergy and cooperation because one of the main responsibilities of the MNJTF is to bring peace and stability to the Lake Chad Basin region and, of course, Radio Ndarason has been playing a great role in disseminating information about how we are achieving peace in the region.”
He praised the idea of establishing such a radio in Nigeria and said he was looking forward to regional stations being set up in the Niger Republic and Cameroon in the near future because this would help the military in its counterinsurgency operations to achieve sustainable peace, security and stability in the region “by countering the ideology of terrorism through news broadcasts and programmes aimed at promoting peace and stability among the people”.

He said he appreciated the job Radio Ndarason was doing to help the military to send peace messages to insurgents who were willing to lay down their arms and surrender.

With the great role Radio Ndarason was playing, he said, he was convinced that the issues of insecurity and the actions of the Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’way Wa’l-Jihād (JAS), better known as Boko Haram, would be overcome in the northeast region of Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin area of the countries that constitute MNJTF.

Smith said he was delighted about the establishment of the FM radio station in Maiduguri.

He said Radio Ndarason initially started in 2016 in Kano State, Nigeria. It was at that stage a small operation before it was expanded.

He said it was well known that the Kanuri community extended well beyond Nigeria and one of the reasons Radio Ndarason existed was to help combat violent extremism in the Lake Chad Basin area.

Smith emphasised that Radio Ndarason should provide a network for all the countries in the region. It was not just a radio station.

“I’m privileged to work among the Kanuris – and of course the Kanembu and Buduma communities – in parts of the Lake Chad Basin region. To make this wonderful event possible, the launch of Radio Ndarason FM here in Maiduguri, which remains the most important Kanuri city in the world, 88.5 FM is the next step in more than 1,000 years of Kanuri development in the Lake Chad Basin region. RNI brings people together, shortwaves spread the language [Kanuri] far and wide across the entire Sahel and beyond.

“In South Africa, where I live, I can pick up RNI on shortwave. However, I get messages from people in Finland, Japan, China, England and the United States telling me that they hear the RNI station on shortwave. Thanks to digital technology through livestreaming, you can listen to RNI clearly all over the world.

“Our colleagues in the Niger Republic and Cameroon are working hard to establish regional studios in Diffa and Moura, encouraged by our friends, the MNJTF, to bring you better coverage of events and concerns in those places. Broadcasts will be in the Kanuri, Kanembu and Buduma languages.
Insha’Allah [God willing] RNI will be celebrating soon in the Niger Republic and Cameroon.”

He said research indicated that more than 7.5 million people listened to RNI radio station regularly in the Lake Chad Basin region, not only in Nigeria but also in the Niger Republic, Chad and Cameroon.

Smith said RNI was the only regional radio network based in Africa. International radio stations, such as the BBC, Radio France Internationale (RFI) and Deutsche Welle Radio (DW), were based on another continent.

“Long live the RNI station. May it bring peace and prosperity to Borno State as well as to the entire Lake Chad Basin region,” Smith said.

SHETTIMA LAWAN MONGUNO