Approved by the Federal Parliament, Voice of Nigeria (VON) launched broadcasting in 1961. In its early days, VON aired from Lagos state for only a couple of hours, its programming being accessible to West Africa. As of 1963, VON expanded its coverage and became a truly international broadcaster. VON operated as an external service of FRCN until 1990 when it became autonomous following the adoption of a legal act.
Media assets
Radio: VON
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
VON was established by Decree No. 15 of 1991 (that became known as the Voice of Nigeria Corporation Act) as a state-owned corporation. The law was given retroactive effect to January 1990.
The highest governing structure at VON is a board of directors consisting of nine members appointed by the President on the recommendation of the information and culture minister. The General Director of VON, which holds the power of decision-making in the daily operation of the corporation is appointed in the same way.
Source of funding and budget
VON is entirely funded by the Federal Government of Nigeria. In 2020, VON received a state subsidy of NGN 2.9bn (US$ 7.5m), according to the latest budgetary data available. The subsidy was granted through the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture.
Editorial independence
The editorial agenda at VON is controlled by the government, according to local journalists and experts. By law, VON is required to give broadcast space to the viewpoints of government officials. The station is also known as blatantly favoring the government in its reporting.
No domestic statute and no independent mechanism of assessment or oversight to validate the editorial independence of VON have been identified.
September 2023