Audiences in Nigeria can now get their news on the go with DandalinVOA (VOA’s Platform), a dynamic new 24/7 mobile phone stream, which features a fresh mix of Nigerian and American music, with the latest news, sports and entertainment updates.
“The 24/7 Hausa mobile stream looks past legacy broadcasting and uses mobile technology to reach the next generation,” said VOA Africa Division Director Gwen Dillard. “It is a way for young people to catch up on the news, enjoy music, and listen to a lineup of programs that cover issues relevant the 25-and-under crowd.”
VOA Hausa Service Chief Leo Keyen says audiences in Nigeria often turn to VOA programs on shortwave radio and mobile sites for the latest breaking news stories. “Now they’ll get it on DandalinVOA,” he said. “Audiences in Nigeria increasingly rely on their phones to get news and information, and we are absolutely at the forefront of this exciting market.”
The Nigerian mobile market represents one of Africa’s largest and most vibrant mobile markets, with approximately 60 million adults using their phones to access the news each week. VOA Hausa has already built a large audience on this platform, and is consistently Voice of America’s top-performing mobile site, with 6.75 million page views per month.
The launch of DandalinVOA comes at a critical time in Nigeria, as concerns mount over the intensity and frequency of attacks in the country blamed on Boko Haram extremists. This new service allows VOA Hausa to go live on the 24/7 mobile stream at any time to cover breaking news.
According to Steven Ferri, the VOA Africa Division Internet Managing Editor, audience participation has been key to the success of the VOA mobile effort in Nigeria, and the new platform continues to build on that with a feature called ‘Question of the Day.’
“By featuring audience responses on the mobile stream, we hope to create meaningful social media conversations on this new stream,” Ferri said.
Beyond its popular mobile site, VOA Hausa reaches its weekly audience of 21 million on radio and the Internet.
For more information about this release, contact the VOA Public Relations office in Washington at (202) 203-4959, or write [email protected]. For more information about VOA, visit the Public Relations website at www.insidevoa.com, or the main news site at www.voanews.com.
Originally published at https://www.insidevoa.com/a/voa-adds-hausa-mobile-stream/1858341.html
