The Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) celebrated 40th Anniversary in broadcasting amidst praises and well wishes.
The station, inaugurated in 1977 marked its 40th anniversary celebration, by airing some old vintage programmes that were peculiar to the station in the 1980s and 1990s. Programmes like “Cockcrow at Dawn”, “Village Headmaster”, “Magana Jari ce” and a host of others were brought back on screen with nostalgia
The station also brought veteran newscasters who were house hold names and had at some point served at the station to read the daily news to commemorate the event. They include the likes of Hauwa Baba Ahmed [now Hauwa Shuaibu Galma], Ruth Benamaisia-Opia, Funmi Odubekun, among others.
According to the Director-General of the NTA, Yakubu Ibn Mohammed, “We are bringing the casters just to tell people that these are the people that made NTA what it was in the old days. People used to run home to watch the 9’0 clock news and we are bringing those olden newscasters of yester years.”
Celebrating with the management and staff of NTA, the Director General of National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), Is’haq Modibbo Kawu, congratulated the board, management and staff of NTA on the occasion of the 40th anniversary.
The NBC DG said “Over the past 40 years, Nigeria has witnessed a steady march towards a more qualitative Broadcasting Industry. Today, the NTA, which is Africa’s Largest Television Network, with 101 stations spread across Nigeria including 9 network centres, continues to record tremendous achievements, building on the dreams of its founding fathers.”
“The Commission is proud to be associated with the Nigerian Television Authority because of the level of professionalism that it has brought to the Nigerian Broadcasting industry over the years. It goes without saying that NTA, since inception forty years ago, has continued to contribute to the growth of the broadcasting industry through the production and presentation of compelling contents, capacity and competence building, and most expectedly, setting standards for others”, Is’haq said.
He encouraged them to continue to sustain momentum and that the NBC will continue to partner with the NTA in her quest to make the Nigeria Broadcasting Industry one of the best in the world.
