When I first read that some of the disengaged staff of the Voice of America (VOA) Hausa Service had come together to establish their own radio station, I was deeply moved. The new station — Africa Radio International (ARI) — is set to hit the airwaves on October 10, 2025.
For those who may not know, the VOA Hausa Service had been a major voice across West Africa for decades, reaching millions of listeners in Nigeria, Niger, Ghana, Cameroon and beyond. But in one of the most shocking media policy moves of recent times, U.S. President Donald J. Trump ordered the shutdown of the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversaw VOA. The decision, part of what he called a “cost-saving and national interest measure,” led to massive layoffs and the silencing of several foreign language services — Hausa included.
To many of those journalists, it was more than just losing a job; it was losing a voice — a platform they had helped build through years of hard work, credibility, and connection with their audience.
Yet, rather than fade into silence, they regrouped. They incorporated Africa Radio International (ARI), an independent broadcast and digital platform to continue telling African stories in African voices. That, to me, is the real story — the courage to reinvent, the refusal to give up.
Here in Katsina, that story should sound very familiar.
We, too, have a generation of talented, experienced, and passionate broadcasters and journalists who once walked the corridors of Katsina State Radio and Television Service (KTRTV). Many of them were pioneers — people who built the station from scratch, trained others, and shaped the airwaves for decades. Some are retired, some disengaged, and some simply inactive — but none of them have lost their gift, or their relevance.
And that is why I believe the bold move by the former VOA Hausa staff should be a wake-up call to all former KTRTV professionals.
Why not come together and establish your own media outfit — a private, independent platform that can serve as the next chapter of Katsina’s broadcasting story? It doesn’t even have to start big. With the simplicity of today’s digital tools, it’s easier than ever to set up an online radio station or a digital newspaper that can reach thousands — even millions — of readers and listeners across the world.
Imagine an online newspaper managed by seasoned Katsina journalists, publishing credible stories about our people, our culture, our economy, our youth, our government. Imagine a 24-hour streaming radio service that blends Hausa and English, featuring talk shows, documentaries, music, and civic education. Imagine a platform free from bureaucracy, political interference, or outdated technology.
Fortunately, the timing couldn’t be better.
Under the leadership of Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, the Katsina State Government has created a structure that directly supports entrepreneurs — the Katsina State Enterprise Development Agency (KASEDA).
For those who haven’t been following, KASEDA’s mandate is to stimulate economic activity and create jobs by helping small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) grow. It provides business training, mentorship, and access to finance. It even helps link local businesses with national and international markets. Through KASEDA, several empowerment initiatives have been rolled out — including grants, interest-free loans, digital skills training, and support for creative entrepreneurs.
If that’s not an enabling environment, I don’t know what is.
So, instead of waiting for someone to call you back into service or lamenting how things used to be, why not take the initiative? You have the experience, the professional ethics, and the trust of the audience. All you need now is the structure — and that’s what agencies like KASEDA are there to support.
Former KTRTV staff have what it takes to set up a modern media outfit that blends professionalism with innovation. You can form a cooperative or a small company, register your business, seek funding support from KASEDA, and launch a project that combines online radio, digital newspapering, podcasting, and short-form video content.
Start small. Stream online. Share your content across social media. Build your audience gradually. Once you have traction, you can think of terrestrial radio or satellite broadcasting. But whatever you do, do not let the legacy of Katsina broadcasting fade away.
If the former staff of VOA Hausa could rise from the ashes of Trump’s executive order to create Africa Radio International, then former KTRTV staff — with their experience, credibility, and state-level support — can do even better.
It is time to move from nostalgia to innovation. The microphone still awaits your voice. The camera still needs your eye. The audience is still listening.
Katsina’s story deserves to be told — and who better to tell it than those who once gave it life through the airwaves?
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