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From Modern Studios to Satellite Broadcasting, Solar Power and Grassroots Radio Expansion, Governor Bala Mohammed’s Media Reforms Tell a Story That Can Be Verified
By Abdulwahab Muhammad, SSA Communication to the Governor of Bauchi State
The Bauchi State Government under the leadership of Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed has recorded significant interventions in the state-owned broadcast media, with the transformation of Bauchi State Television (BATV) and efforts to strengthen radio services across the Local Government Areas.
The developments represent part of the administration’s broader drive to modernise public communication infrastructure, improve information dissemination and strengthen the capacity of state-owned media organisations to serve the people.
According to the Commissioner for Information and Communication, Hon. Usman Shehu Usman, the administration has undertaken extensive renovation and upgrading of BATV, backed by the provision of modern broadcasting equipment and improvements in transmission infrastructure.
BATV: FROM LIMITATIONS TO MODERN BROADCASTING
Perhaps the most visible evidence of the intervention is the transformation of the BATV studio into a modern broadcasting facility equipped to meet contemporary television production requirements.
The investment has gone beyond aesthetics.
Broadcasting and transmission equipment have been upgraded, strengthening the station’s ability to produce quality programmes and provide effective coverage of government activities, public events and other issues of importance to citizens.
Power supply, historically one of the major challenges confronting broadcasting organisations, has also received attention.
The introduction of solar power and other improved energy solutions has reduced dependence on conventional electricity supply and strengthened operational stability at the station.
BATV has equally expanded its reach beyond traditional terrestrial broadcasting.
With satellite transmission and availability on platforms including StarTimes, the station is increasingly accessible to audiences within and outside Bauchi State, while its improved facilities have strengthened its capacity for round-the-clock broadcasting.
This is a significant departure from the technical and operational limitations that once constrained the station.
LIVE BROADCASTING CAPACITY RESTORED
Another important aspect of the transformation is BATV’s improved capacity for live broadcasting.
The station has demonstrated its ability to provide live coverage of major public functions, political activities, conferences and other significant events.
For a television station that previously had to contend with inadequate equipment, unstable power supply and other technical limitations, this represents measurable progress.
The difference between yesterday and today is therefore not merely a matter of political interpretation. Much of it can be seen on the screen, observed in the studio and assessed through the station’s expanded broadcasting operations.
TAKING RADIO CLOSER TO THE GRASSROOTS
The intervention in public broadcasting has not stopped with BATV.
The administration is also paying attention to radio stations serving communities across the Local Government Areas through renovation, equipment upgrades and measures aimed at improving grassroots broadcasting.
This is particularly important in a state such as Bauchi, where radio remains one of the most accessible and effective channels for reaching rural communities.
The government is also working towards expanding broadcasting facilities to Local Government Areas that currently lack radio stations, thereby bringing information and public communication closer to communities.
According to the Commissioner, consideration is equally being given to the status of qualified casual workers serving in the radio stations, with a view to improving employment security and strengthening the human-resource capacity of the sector.
Such an intervention would not only improve staff welfare but could also enhance professionalism, institutional stability and service delivery.
PUTTING RECENT CRITICISM IN PERSPECTIVE
These developments provide important context to recent criticism attributed to Senator Shehu Umar, representing Bauchi South, concerning the state of media institutions in Bauchi.
Constructive criticism is legitimate and necessary in every democracy. Opposition voices have a responsibility to scrutinise government performance, question policies and identify areas requiring improvement.
But criticism carries greater public value when it is anchored in verifiable facts.
Any assessment of Bauchi State’s media institutions should therefore take into account what has actually changed within those institutions.
BATV has undergone substantial renovation. Its studio facilities have been transformed. Broadcasting and transmission equipment have been upgraded. Power solutions have improved. Live broadcasting capacity has been strengthened. Satellite transmission has expanded the station’s reach.
Similarly, interventions are being extended to radio stations at the grassroots, while plans are underway to broaden access to radio services across more Local Government Areas.
These are developments that should form part of any fair assessment of the sector.
LET THE FACTS SPEAK
Political competition should be a contest of ideas, alternatives and records—not a reason to overlook visible progress.
Where government falls short, citizens and political leaders have every right to demand improvement. Where public resources are poorly utilised, questions must be asked. But where progress has been recorded, intellectual honesty requires that such progress also be acknowledged.
Anyone aspiring to provide leadership in Bauchi State should therefore endeavour to understand conditions on the ground before reaching sweeping conclusions about the performance of public institutions.
The standard should remain simple: What was the situation before? What intervention was made? What has changed? And what remains to be done?
Measured against those questions, the transformation taking place at BATV and the ongoing efforts to strengthen grassroots radio broadcasting deserve serious consideration.
Governor Bala Abdulkadir Mohammed’s administration is pursuing a course aimed at repositioning public broadcasting through modern infrastructure, improved technology, wider transmission reach, more reliable power supply and stronger grassroots communication.
There may still be room for further improvement—as there always is in any public institution—but the progress already made cannot reasonably be dismissed.
Ultimately, the most persuasive response to political criticism is neither argument nor rhetoric.
It is evidence.
And in the case of Bauchi State’s evolving broadcast sector, much of that evidence can be seen, verified and experienced by the people.
Published by Alphapressmedia.com
