Abuja: The Managing Director of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Malam Ali M. Ali, has announced that the agency will begin broadcasting in local languages before the end of 2025. This announcement was made during a public hearing organized by the House of Representatives Special Committee on Restructuring Federal Government Agencies.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the hearing focused on the necessity of scrapping outdated agencies and merging government agencies with similar mandates. Ali revealed that with the rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI), NAN is set to launch portals to broadcast in the three major languages of Hausa, Yoruba, and Igbo by the end of 2025. He explained that Immersive Journalism (IJ), which utilizes technologies like Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR), is becoming prevalent in the media space, often unbeknownst to many.
Ali stated that the initiative to broadcast in local languages is part of ongoing reforms aimed at modernizing the agency and staying ahead of cu
rrent trends. With a large workforce, strategic partnerships, and professionalism, NAN is poised to embrace competition.
The managing director disclosed that the agency has already initiated broadcasts in Hausa, a language spoken by 88 million people in Nigeria, according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). He outlined plans to launch the Yoruba portal early next year and the Igbo portal by mid-year. Furthermore, NAN is encouraging its reporters to learn foreign languages such as Arabic and French to better position the agency.
On the topic of revenue, Ali reported that NAN generated N215 million in 2024 and is venturing into digital marketing to augment subscription-generated revenue. He highlighted ongoing efforts to consolidate revenue streams similar to other media organizations through content sales on platforms like Facebook, TikTok, and X.
The committee commended NAN for maintaining professionalism and high standards in news reporting. Rep. Ademorin Kuye (APC-Lagos) praised NAN’s impressive
performance despite current challenges and acknowledged its patriotic and optimistic approach to news gathering and dissemination. The committee requested that NAN’s management provide suggestions for amendments to the NAN Establishment Act to enable optimal agency performance.