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 few hours, and its programming was accessible to West Africa. As of 1963, VON expanded its coverage and became an international broadcaster. VON operated as an external service of FRCN until 1990, when it became autonomous following the adoption of a legal act.
In February 2024, VON was merged with FRCN as part of the government’s efforts to streamline the agencies financed by the government. Until the newly created entity, to be known as Federal Broadcasting Corporation of Nigeria, starts operating under the new name, we will present VON and FRCN as two separate entities in our database. See FRCN’s profile here.
Media assets
Radio: VON
State Media Matrix Typology: State-Controlled (SC)
Ownership and governance
VON was established as a state-owned corporation by Decree No. 15 of 1991 (which became known as the Voice of Nigeria Corporation Act). The law took effect retroactively in 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, who holds the power of decision-making in the corporation’s daily operation, 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 budgetary data. The subsidy was granted through the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture. In 2023, VON received a state subsidy of NGN 3.3bn (US$ 4.2m), according to the 2023 state budget.
Editorial independence
According to local journalists and experts, the government controls the editorial agenda at VON. By law, VON is required to give broadcast space to the viewpoints of government officials. The station is also known for 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.
July 2024