At the end of a two-day seminar on Developing Community Radio in Nigeria held at First Victoria Castle Hotels and Suites in Akure, Ondo State, participants issued this communiqué.
PREAMBLE
The two-day event drew participants from community based groups, other civil society organizations, government agencies and others. The programme was organized by the Nigeria Community Radio Coalition with support from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the United Kingdom.
Realizing the integral role of community participation and community radio as a veritable tool of participation in the development process, we are convinced that the various development agenda of government will find a useful instrument in community radio.
OBSERVATIONS
- Nigeria is the only country in West Africa where there is no community radio in the real sense of the word.
- We appreciate the reform efforts being made by the government of Nigeria on broadcasting in the areas of policies, laws and regulations.
- We acknowledge the contributions of the regulatory body, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), in putting in place a conducive environment for the implementation of community radio in Nigeria.
- We particularly note the cooperation of the NBC, the Federal Ministry of Information, National Assembly and the Presidency in the efforts to make community radio a reality in Nigeria.
- We equally observe the passion, commitment and seriousness with which many communities across the country are going about the process of establishing their radio stations.
- Community radio is helping the process of accelerating development in other parts of the world and has the potential of doing same in Nigeria.
RECOMMENDATIONS
- The Nigeria Community Radio Coalition (NCRC) should further strengthen its advocacy efforts by doing more mobilization at the community level.
- The Nigeria Community Radio Coalition should put in place appropriate mechanism to ensure community radios stations that would emerge truly belong to their communities.
- The National Assembly should engage the policy processes of the executive agencies of government to fast-track the emergence of community radio stations in Nigeria.
- Government should take to conclusion the policy processes it has initiated for the development of a plural broadcasting landscape.
- Member organizations of the NCRC should mainstream community radio issues in their activities at the community level.
Issued in Akure, Nigeria this 5th day of March, 2010.
