Workshop Advocates Community Radio To Deepen Democratic Governance

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Enugu, the coal city of Nigeria was host to community radio advocates at a two-day workshop to expand citizens’ participation in the democratic process and particularly to build the capacity of grassroots groups for active participation in the deepening of democracy in Nigeria through the use of community radio.

The workshop, which held Enugu was organised by the Institute for Media and Society (IMS) in collaboration with the Nigeria Community Radio Coalition (NCRC) was supported by the Democratic Governance for Development (DGD II) project of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).

The workshop, which was attended by communities routing for the establishment of community radio stations including community-based organizations and the media in the South-East and South-South zones of the country was to advance the cause of granting licences to communities to establish community radio as a tool to aid development agenda and deepening democracy and development.

A key recommendation from the workshop was that the regulatory body, National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) should commence the issuance of community radio licences to communities without further delay – in line with the directive of the President of Federal Republic of Nigeria in October 2010. It was also recommended that the Nigeria Community Radio Coalition (NCRC) should intensify collaborations with media organizations to conduct awareness and sensitisation activities on community radio development for more communities in the South-East and South-South zones as well as relating with international development agencies to continue to support the efforts of communities in the area of capacity building targeted for the development of community radio in Nigeria.

The workshop also recommended that International development agencies should promote the advocacy for community radio licensing in Nigeria by making it a part of their agenda to government.