COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA FLOWS IN NORTHERN NIGERIA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 ABUJA 001816 SIPDIS STATE FOR AF/PD, AF/W, R, R/MR, IIP, INR LAGOS FOR PAS, POL, RAO IBB FOR VOA'S ENGLISH TO AFRICA SERVICE, HAUSA SERVICE USEUCOM FOR PAO E.O. 12598: N/A TAGS: PREL KPAO NI SUBJECT: COMMUNICATION AND MEDIA FLOWS IN NORTHERN NIGERIA ¶1. SUMMARY: There are important regional differences in the media in Nigeria that affect Embassy efforts to communicate U.S. views on the war on terror and other issues. This cable profiles the communications and media environment in Nigeria's north, which is predominately Muslim and Hausa speaking. ¶2. While the print media are important in the highly literate south, newspapers and magazines have less influence in the predominately Muslim north. Newspapers and magazines in English, moreover, have only minimal impact in the north, but the few Hausa language publications are influential. ¶3. In the north, radio is particularly important in reaching large audiences. Both Nigerian and foreign stations, VOA included, have large listenerships. Because of the north's relative lack of development, television does not yet reach large audiences. But satellite broadcasts -- not only BBC and CNN but Arabic-language stations from the Middle East -- reach and influence the elite. A few new Internet sites also reflect northern opinion and have elite followings, meaning their influence reaches far beyond the few individuals who have direct access to the Internet. ¶4. In addition to these media -- the kind traditionally scanned by the Embassy and by FBIS -- the flow of information and opinion also includes pamphlets, handbills, and audio cassettes. These are mostly of an Islamic character. A broad view of "information flows" could also include the influential teachings in the mosques and Islamic schools. Some of these opinions in circulation come from visiting scholars from Algeria, Pakistan, Iran, and other countries of the Islamic world. END SUMMARY. ¶5. The media and other information sources that influence northern populations can be divided into four categories: (1) Government-owned or controlled. Government newspapers go to great lengths to justify the policies and actions of government, but have little readership in the community. There are many state radio and television stations, generally one in every state, which have regional influence and serve as the voice of the government. (2) Independents: The new independent broadcasters, while few, 
are more creative, but they are elitist and urban-centered. (3) International broadcasts: The Hausa Services of the BBC, VOA, Radio Deutsche Welle, and recently Radio Iran, are very popular in northern Nigeria because of the wide usage of Hausa as a language of trade in the West African sub-region. 4) Sponsored pro-Islamic and pro-Christian local newspapers, magazines, literature, pamphlets, handbills, and Internet chat groups. There is a sector of sponsored pro-Islamic media with grassroots influence that is primarily religious and anti-U.S. in character. Some of them, especially the pro-Islamic sponsored literature, pamphlets and hand bills exploit the Hausa language to build a large readership and listenership. Internet chat groups are also influential with the elite and political class. -------------- The Hausa Language -------------- ¶6. Hausa is spoken over a very large portion of West Africa. It is a first language in the northern Nigerian states of Sokoto, Katsina, Kebbi, Zamfara, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, and Bauchi. It is a universal lingua franca in the remainder of the northern states of Nigeria as well as in Niger. It is a second language for many people in Benin, Chad, Cameroon, and Togo, and it is also spoken in enclaves in Ghana, Ctte d'Ivoire, Libya, southern Nigeria, Sudan (Blue Nile Province),and Senegal. Scholars note a "remarkable unity" of Hausa, although there are noticeable differences from west to east. ¶7. There are no good recent estimates of how many people speak Hausa as a first or second language, but the number of speakers may total 60 million. ¶8. Hausa is an official language in Nigeria. It is taught in Nigerian secondary schools and universities and is the language of instruction for the elementary grades in Hausa- speaking areas. ¶9. More than half of the broadcasting on northern Nigerian radio and television stations is in Hausa, and Nigeria boasts several Hausa language newspapers as well as an ever-increasing number of publications of all types in Hausa. In addition to Nigerian and Cameroonian radio stations, all international broadcasters with transmissions to West Africa have programs in Hausa. These include the BBC, Voice of America, Deutsche Welle, Radio Moscow, and Radio Peking. ¶10. Hausa has both a standardized Roman and Arabic orthography. The former is based primarily around the Kano dialect. PRINT MEDIA -------------- ¶11. The following newspapers are published in northern Nigeria. ¶A. MOST INFLUENTIAL PUBLICATIONS The Daily Trust (weekdays) and The Weekly Trust (weekends): The Trust newspapers, published in English in Abuja with very high editorial and graphic standards, have become highly influential because they are read by everyone in the capital -- legislators, bureaucrats, academic leaders, civil society groups, political leaders, and opinion makers in the north. Their domestic news coverage is professional and non-partisan, but with strong loyalties to the north and to Islam. Their international coverage is strongly anti-U.S. Circulation is estimated at 12,000. Gaskiya Ta Fi Kwabo ("Truth is Better Than Money"): Owned by a consortium of northern state governments, this sister newspaper to The New Nigerian is the oldest Hausa language newspaper in northern Nigeria. For 61 years Gaskiya has reflected a pro-north, anti-West focus. Circulation is estimated at 50,000. Al-Mizan: This radical Islamic Hausa language weekly strongly communicates anti-American views and advocates an Islamic State. Its editorial positions, good quality paper, and use of color give strong evidence of funding ties to Iran and Libya. Sold for less than the other papers, it is published in Zaria on Friday, and it is characteristically sold to Friday Mosque congregations. Total print run is 12,000, but estimated readership is over 60,000. The newspaper is also available on the Internet through www.faithweb.com. Al-Mizan is influential with radical Muslim youths. Its founder and publisher is an Ahmadu Bello University trained economist and student of the Iranian Revolution, Ayatollah Khomaini's alter ego in Nigeria, Shiekh El-Zak-Zaky. This means the paper is directly or indirectly subsidized by Iran. ¶B. REGIONAL PRESENCE, BUT MINIMAL INFLUENCE The New Nigerian: Published in Kaduna, a pro-north, government-owned Monday-thru-Sunday tabloid-sized English language newspaper. Estimated circulation is 9,000. The New Nigerian considers itself the official voice of the marginalized north. Although it occasionally publishes statements by American officials and Washington File stories, this newspaper's heart of hearts is anti-American. Like all government-owned newspapers in Nigeria, the lack of editorial independence makes all its reporting flaccid, and a bloated staff spends a great deal of time worrying about the possible privatization of the newspaper and the end of government funding (read: staff and salary downsizing). The Triumph: Kano-based pro-Islamic provincial English language newspaper published Monday-thru-Sunday. Estimated circulation is 5,000 at best. More than 300 employees staff this government-owned and government-controlled newspaper published on an ancient East German press. It carries the standard of Islam and frequently publishes beyond-the-pale anti-American and anti-Israeli editorials and columns. The Nigeria Standard: Published in Jos daily newspaper. Located in Plateau State, it is sympathetic to Christian and minority issues (est. circulation 5,000),earning it frequent scorn in the pages of the newspapers above. Dillaliya: This Kaduna-based Hausa weekly is edited and published as a side business by Ibrahim Musa, the youthful editor of pro-Islamic Al-Mizan. Dillaliya has a more liberal editorial policy than Al-Mizan. Like Al-Mizan, it thrives on street sales to young Muslims. It also enjoys generous patronage from young northern politicians, who buy pages of the paper to promote themselves. Dillaliya, described as a newspaper for the promotion of commerce and political education, also enjoys the patronage of forward- looking and business-oriented young northern leaders. They view Dillaliya as an important vehicle for the educated and broad-minded, but marginalized northern youth. Thus Ibrahim Musa has a high tolerance for cognitive dissonance. In the Al-Mizan office, he wears a turban, advocating anti- Western views and zero tolerance of non-Muslim opinions. At Dillaliya, he wears a different hat, promoting liberal views and full participation by Muslims in secular debates. Despite its efforts to be different, Dillaliya remains dependent on Al-Mizan's influence. Jakadiya: Kaduna-based Hausa weekly financed by a group of young northern politicians opposed to the present political leadership in the north and at the center. Estimated circulation is between 2000 and 3000 copies. Albishir/Alfijir: The Triumph Company also publishes a Hausa bi-weekly, Albishir, and an Arabic-Hausa script (Ajami) version, Alfijir. Both publications reflect the Triumph's pro-Islamic, anti-American, and anti-Israeli posture. Although published in the city with the largest population of Hausa speakers in the country, less than 4,000 copies of both Albishir and Alfijir are circulated each week, mostly as complimentary copies to senior citizens and Islamic scholars. Street sales make up less than 30 percent of the total circulation because of the high degree of poverty and poor income levels amongst the target Hausa readers in Kano. The Path: Sokoto-based Pro-Islamic and characteristically anti-American bi-weekly (est. circulation 3,000). The Legacy: This Gusau-based weekly tabloid is published by a private company, but heavily subsidized by Governor Ahmed Sani's Shari'a government in Zamfara State. The paper's editorials and columns are characteristically pro- Islam and anti-Israel, but open to U.S. views. Estimated circulation is 2,000. -------------- ELECTRONIC MEDIA -------------- ¶12. FRCN Kaduna: Northern Nigeria's most influential radio station was established in 1962 by the north's political legend and religious leader, Sir Ahmadu Bello, as the "Voice of the North." FRCN Kaduna's influence has however diminished as it struggles to fight off Federal control of its editorial policy because of its merger with the Federal Radio network centrally controlled from Abuja. It also has the growing popularity of foreign stations that broadcast in Hausa to contend with. Despite its diminished influence, FRCN Kaduna is staunchly pro-north and extremely anti-West. Although technically owned by the Federal Government, FRCN enjoys generous and strong support from the various states that succeeded the defunct Northern Region in 1967, prominent northern business, and political groups. The Hausa Services -------------- ¶13. BBC, VOA, Radio Deutsche Welle, and Iran Radio Hausa Language services have the highest listenerships. Radio Korea and China Radio International also broadcast in Hausa. The Internet -------------- ¶14. www.gamji.com: This web page has a cult following and has become very influential with northern intellectuals, labor leaders, northern Muslim/Christian youth activists, NGO, and student groups. Issues discussed are far ranging, but substantially anti-U.S., including events in the Middle East, September 11, and the war against terror. ¶15. www.almizan.faithweb.com: This web page describes itself as "a Hausa newspaper for the Hausa-Speaking people in Africa and diaspora using the Internet." This Internet version of the newspaper Al-Mizan (mentioned above) is slightly different and more colorful than the print version. Satellite Cable by Subscription -------------- ¶16. Television is popular in northern cities, where crowds of people often watch a single set when electricity is available. Many local government authorities have established "television viewing centers" that allow many people to watch programs together. ¶17. Cable television subscriptions, bringing international stations to Nigerian viewers by satellite, have become more important, especially in affluent communities. In addition to CNN, BBC, MTV and commercial movie channels, Nigeria's cable providers bundle free Arabic channels -- courtesy of Saudi Arabia, Iran, Iraq, Libya, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates -- into the channel mix. ABG and MG Satellite Communications are northern Nigeria's main cable distributors for the Arabic channels. -------------- -------------- PAMPHLETS, LITERATURE, HAND BILLS, AUDIO CASETTES -------------- -------------- ¶18. The "flow of information" in northern Nigeria also includes written and audio materials apparently funded elsewhere, and post has not yet been able to investigate these materials in a systematic way. ¶19. The sources of funding for these materials, including money to translate religious and ideological literature into Hausa and other local languages, vary. They most likely come from Saudi Arabia, Iran, China, Libya and North Korea. ¶20. Iran's effort is formally aimed at spreading the Shia form of Islam in local Koranic schools and Muslim populations. Publications are part of an effort that includes placing teachers in Koranic schools and study groups in Iran. The targets for Saudi Arabia's effort are Islamic clerics, Islamic scholars and the academic community. Like the Iranian sponsorships, the Saudi effort includes scholarships for study at King Abdulaziz University in Saudi Arabia. ¶21. Sponsored translated materials circulate widely at mosques, town meetings, protest processions, local markets, and other religious gatherings. The annual pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia (Hajj) also provides opportunity for wide distribution of Hausa translated materials. ¶22. China and North Korea mostly provide funding for translation of anti-American and anti-West ideological literature, which are sometimes given a religious tilt and distributed freely to unquestioning radical youths. ¶23. All these subsidized materials are distributed free, and they have gained wide readership because of low economic activity and high poverty levels in the rural north. Andrews