By Dare Akogun
The Media Rights Agenda (MRA) has charged the Federal Government of Nigeria to leverage the enduring nature and unique characteristics of radio to tackle the challenges of illiteracy, ignorance and poverty in Nigeria.
The group’s deputy director Ayode Longe, said this in a statement issued on Tuesday to commemorate this year’s World Radio Day (WRD)
Speaking on the need for Nigerians to live in peace and harmony, he said the continuing potency of radio after more than 100 years of its existence can help to foster dialogue among diverse groups and mitigate the plethora of crises ravaging the country.
For over a century, radio has made a great impact in the lives of people around the world as it is available to even the poor in the remote parts of the world, bringing them timely information, education and entertainment.
Radio has also adapted, through the century, to changes and developments in technology and is now available in more gadgets than ever before. It has also remained the most widely available medium of communication in the world, reaching billions of people daily.
Radio is one medium that offers a variety of ways to reach the greatest number of people cheaply wherever they may be and possibly in the language that they speak and understand.
This makes it a veritable tool in the hands of the government at all levels to carry all Nigerians along in the formulation and implementation of their policies,” part of the statement read.
He added that radio is also available and can be assessed on the internet, making it possible for radio broadcasts to transcend signal limitations and for people who have traveled outside their localities to still listen to their favourite local radio stations online, if they so desire.
The group however, charged the government to expand community radio broadcasting by ensuring that more licences are issued to communities and groups for community radios and that the licenses are affordable and issued only to communities and not to individuals or cults who would misuse them.
World Radio Day is celebrated on February 13 each year and the theme for 2024 is “Radio: A Century Informing, Entertaining, and Educating”.
The theme celebrates the rich history and enduring impact of radio over the past century, recognising radio’s role in informing, entertaining, and educating audiences worldwide.
