Voice of Nigeria (VON)
Voice of Nigeria (VON), Nigeria’s state-run international broadcaster, first went on air in 1961, following its establishment through an act approved by the Federal Parliament. In its formative years, VON operated out of Lagos, transmitting for just a few hours daily with reach limited to West Africa.
By 1963, the station broadened its horizons to become a full-fledged international broadcaster. Until 1990, VON functioned as the external service arm of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN). That changed when Decree No. 15 of 1991 (retroactively effective from January 1990) conferred autonomy on VON, establishing it as a separate legal entity under what later became known as the Voice of Nigeria Corporation Act.
Media assets
Radio: VON
State Media Matrix Typology
Ownership and governance
VON operates as a state-owned enterprise established under the 1991 legal decree No 15. The Board of Directors, its highest governing body, consists of nine members, all appointed by the President upon recommendation by the Minister of Information and Culture. The Director General, who serves as the chief executive and oversees the organization’s day-to-day operations, is appointed via the same political process.
As per official and credible records, Mallam Jibrin Baba Ndace is the current Director General and CEO of VON, appointed by President Bola Tinubu in October 2023
In February 2024, the Federal Executive Council approved a structural consolidation of Nigeria’s state-owned broadcast entities, announcing the merger of VON with FRCN. The newly proposed umbrella entity is to be known as the Federal Broadcasting Corporation of Nigeria.
However, as of mid-2025, this merger remains administratively approved but not operationally completed. VON and FRCN continue to function as separate institutions, pending full legal and structural integration. For that reason, they are still profiled separately in this database. (See the FRCN profile for further context.)
Source of funding and budget
VON is wholly dependent on public funds, with its entire operating budget sourced from the Federal Government of Nigeria through allocations via the Ministry of Information and Culture.
- In 2020, VON received NGN 2.9 billion (approx. USD 7.5 million) in federal subsidy.
- In 2023, its allocation rose slightly to NGN 3.3 billion (approx. USD 4.2 million).
No significant increase in revenue-generating capacity or alternative funding streams has been recorded. Unlike commercial or hybrid broadcasters, VON does not derive income from advertising or sponsorship.
Given the upcoming merger with FRCN, it is expected that future allocations will be consolidated under a joint budget line once operational unification occurs.
Editorial independence
Although VON is tasked with delivering Nigeria’s voice to the global stage, its editorial output is widely regarded as aligned with government messaging. Legally, VON is obligated to provide airtime for government views and official narratives, a requirement that effectively curtails the station’s ability to operate independently.
According to local media observers and journalism experts interviewed for this report, VON’s programming frequently displays overt favoritism toward the government, and critical or oppositional voices are largely absent from its international news agenda.
Importantly, no independent oversight body or statutory mechanism currently exists to safeguard or assess VON’s editorial autonomy. In the absence of legal provisions for content monitoring or public accountability, editorial capture by the state remains systemic and unresolved.
July 2025