ABUJA, Nigeria – The Voice of America (VOA), a globally recognized U.S. government-funded broadcaster, has gone off air in several African countries, including Nigeria, Ghana, and Niger, after President Donald Trump slashed funding for the station.
The shutdown, particularly affecting VOA’s Hausa-language service, has left millions of listeners in these regions confused and distressed, especially in northern Nigeria, where the service was a trusted source of news.
The sudden disappearance of VOA from the airwaves, first noticed by listeners in northern Nigeria, caused widespread panic.
Music began to play in place of regular broadcasts, triggering fears of a military coup or political instability.
“People started calling in, worried that there had been a coup in America,” said Babangida Jibrin, a journalist with the now-defunct VOA Hausa service, speaking to Daily Trust.
VOA’s Hausa service had become a critical lifeline for millions of listeners in northern Nigeria, Ghana, Niger, and Cameroon.
The service provided vital international and regional news, often filling a void where local media was censored or compromised due to state control.
In areas with unreliable or no internet access, radio broadcasts like those from VOA were indispensable for staying informed.
“People are now cut off from the world, especially from critical international news,” lamented Moussa Jaharou, a listener from southern Niger.
He called the shutdown a “deliberate silencing of the poor,” as the Hausa-language broadcasts had been essential for many in conflict-prone regions where access to accurate information is limited.
Founded during World War II to counter Nazi propaganda, VOA later became a major outlet for credible journalism during the Cold War.
Over the years, it evolved into a vital news source, particularly in authoritarian regions where press freedom is often under attack.
In northern Nigeria, VOA’s Hausa service offered in-depth, unbiased reporting on insurgency, banditry, and government corruption—issues that are part of daily life in the region, and which are often overlooked or distorted by local media.
The shutdown has left a significant gap in the media landscape, especially in a region where state repression and misinformation are common.
Critics argue that Trump’s decision to cut funding for VOA is part of his broader ideological war on independent institutions, as well as his administration’s efforts to bring U.S.-backed international media under political control.
The funding cuts have effectively dismantled several of VOA’s regional language services, silencing an important source of independent news.
