The North East Development Commission (NEDC) has donated digitalized broadcasting equipment and 130 trolleys to the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) and six airports in the Northeast region.
Handing Over Ceremony
Speaking on Thursday during the handing over ceremony in Maiduguri, Borno state, the Managing Director of NEDC, Muhammad Alkali, stated that these equipment and airport service tools are critical for the rebuilding process of the Northeast, which has suffered years of Boko Haram insurgency in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe states.
Collaboration with Partners
Alkali said: "We are here as part of our mandate to support the rebuilding process in the Northeast. From the beginning, we have been collaborating with the media because everyone needs information. This is why we are donating these items to the FRCN." He added that the commission engaged all partners to understand their specific needs before making the donations.
"This gesture cut across all sectors; we have done the same thing with the police, military, and media," Alkali noted.
Trolley Distribution
Alkali revealed that six states in the Northeast will benefit from the 130 trolleys distributed to the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN). He said: "FAAN is also another very important agency. We all transport ourselves through the airports and must have seen the challenges. This is why we decided to look at the low-level needs for a start. As basic as trolleys, they are struggling to have enough."
Out of the 130 trolleys, 20 were allocated to Adamawa, 20 to Bauchi, 30 to Borno, 20 to Gombe, 20 to Taraba, and 20 to Yobe states.
Items for FRCN
Handing over the items to the FRCN, the Managing Director of the North West Development Commission, Abdullahi Maji, stated that if judiciously utilized, the items will serve the information needs of people across the state and environs. The donated items include a 5 KW transmitter with antenna system and installation, a 6-Bay Broadband antenna, two computers for on-air studio, two computers for each production studio, a 16-channel professional console, distribution amplifier, FM tuner, four condenser microphones, drone cameras, chairs, cables, printers, lightning kits, routers, consoles, plugs, connectors, laptops, and tables.
Reactions
Responding, the Director General of the FRCN, Muhammad Bulama, said the gesture will increase the station's broadcasting hours in the region. "For me, the most important assistance here today is the supply of solar power to our stations. With this, our stations in the Northeast can now broadcast 12 to 15 hours per day. We say thank you to NEDC for listening and granting our request," he stated.
On her part, the Regional Manager of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari International Airport, Maiduguri, Fatima Aliyu, said the trolleys will ease the movement of passenger goods in airports across the region. "We thank the Managing Director of the NEDC and his team for the donation of the trolleys. They will really go a long way, as it will add comfort and ease the movement of passengers' luggage to different parts of Nigeria," she said.
