United States Agency for Global Media

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Voice of America expands its leadership in Hausa-language programming with its first television broadcast premiering September 25 at 19:00 UTC.The fast-paced weekly magazine show Taskar VOA includes a rundown of the week’s top stories from VOA correspondents in Africa and around the world along with social-media feedback from Hausa-speaking audiences and in-depth reporting on peace-building, entrepreneurship, health, and agriculture as well as segments on entertainment, sports, music and comedy.

Adding Taskar to VOA Hausa’s popular line-up “will enable us to win the youth audience with a wider reach and tremendous impact,” says Africa Division Director Negussie Mengesha. “We are building on VOA’s bigger online and mobile audiences in Nigeria as well as on our English-language partnership with Channels TV.”

With original television reporting from across the United States and from Hausa Service correspondents in Nigeria, Niger, and Cameroon, Taskar covers Hausa-language affairs in West Africa and in the diaspora.

“Nothing better heralds the arrival of Taskar VOA than the Hausa saying ‘Gani ya kori ji’, which means ‘Seeing is believing,’ ” says Hausa Service Chief Leo Keyen. “Our TV team is ecstatic about this exciting new program focusing on younger audiences and democracy in our target areas.”

VOA Hausa produces a total of 16 hours of weekly radio programming on shortwave and AM. Hausa also has a 24/7 audio mobile stream that targets young demographics particularly in Nigeria through cell phones.