Jaafar Jaafar
4 January 2009
A select group of reporters and some staff of Bayero University, Kano had waited patiently at the office of Dr Umar Faruq Jibril, the Head of Department of Mass Communication, of the institution to speak with the Head of BBC Hausa Service, Jamila Tangaza.
Minutes later, she sauntered in and many were surprised to see the elfin but graceful frame that entered the room, Tangaza is simplicity personified.
Those who knew her about 20 years ago say that her appearance, brilliance and courtesy remain evergreen. "Since I knew her nearly two decades ago, Jamila has remained the same in appearance. She was one of the best students the Department of English, BUK, ever had," Professor Abubakar Rasheed, who was her teacher, remarked.
When the participants began to exchange pleasantries with her, she responded warmly as she was ushered to a seat. Sunday Trust learnt that her fluency and clear diction in both her native Hausa and English Language are striking as she also leaves her audience in awe.
Jamila started her education in Kano at St Louis Primary School. After completing primary school, she proceeded to St Louis Secondary School where she graduated with flying colours. Thereafter, Jamila underwent an Interim Joint Matriculation Board (IJMB) programme at the College of Art , Science and Remedial Studies, Kano (CAS).
People who did not know much about her life thought that the BBC broadcaster studied Hausa, perhaps because of her fluency in Hausa language. From CAS, Jamila got admission to study B.A. English at BUK. And after securing the BBC job, Jamila advanced her study at the London School of Economics and Political Science where she obtained an M.Sc in Management Organization and Governance.
BBC Hausa broadcasters have unique rendition, which Jamila too has toed along with. However, given her mastery of the Hausa language and the way she did the broadcasting, many thought she may have also gotten the perfection from Hausa studies.
Tangaza cut her journalism teeth with the BBC immediately after completing her mandatory NYSC at the Department of English in BUK in 1992. "When I moved to London in 1992, I became a producer, from there I moved to Senior Producer, to Editor BBC Abuja Bureau, and now I am the Head of the Hausa Service," she told our reporter.
The seasoned newscaster added that in her capacity as Senior Producer with the BBC, she had several work experience within the African Service, BBC Outlook, BBC Education. Revealing her experience further, she said that she covered so many events of BBC in a number of countries, saying that she was recently in US to cover the Obama Election.
"I have traveled to a number of countries in order to report, bring and put together output and programmes on behalf of the BBC - both in English and in Hausa," Jamila told Sunday Trust.
Asked of the challenges she faced when she was a cub reporter with the BBC, Jamila told Sunday Trust that the daunting challenge was that of translating news items into the Hausa Language. "I have never studied Hausa in my life before. But old hands and veteran producers like Usman Muhammed, Umar Yusuf Karaye, Suleiman Ibrahim Katsina, Adamu Kiyawa, guided me through. They were always on hand to help junior producers at the Corporation," she revealed.
Those who knew her gave clear testimony of her compassion, kindness and easy-going nature. Displaying her deep sense of kindness and uncommon courtesy, Jamila said she was in BUK to donate modern broadcasting gadgets to the Department of Mass Communication of the university.
Handing over the equipment to the Vice Chancellor, Professor Attahiru Jega, the Head of BBC Hausa Service, said the gesture was to make the department face the challenges of modern broadcasting.
She said even without the modern facilities, the department has, over the years, churned out highly talented graduates that have impacted on the world positively, and expressed optimism that the equipment will help in producing more talented graduates and brace them up for modern techniques.
On what spurred her gesture, Tangaza stated that when she was conducted round the department last year, she was surprised at the obsolete situation of the studio, and indicated that there was some equipment that needed to be updated.
"The equipment I found there were, quite frankly, not being used in other developed parts of the world, where I actually practice," she said, noting that if broadcasting has reached the level where it is today in the modern age, then there should be some kind of support the BBC should give to the mass communication department of BUK.
According to her, the equipment has the latest software and hardware that are used to transmit live programmes. "This kit has the latest software which we used to cover the American election recently," she stated.
Demonstrating the gadgets to the VC, the Kano Bureau Chief of the BBC, Bala Ibrahim, said the donation is just a tip of the iceberg, assuring that the BBC will continue its support to the department.
On his part, the Vice Chancellor, Professor Attahiru Jega said Mass Communication department of BUK has established contacts all over the world because of its innovation and local and international acclaim.
Professor Jega, who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic), Professor Kabiru Bichi, said the equipment will help in teaching a newly introduced course, Online Mass Communication, introduced by the department.
While expressing appreciation for the gesture, the Head of Department of Mass Communication, Dr Umar Faruq Jibril, said the gadgets would be used in the department's community radio operation billed to kick off next year.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 Daily Trust. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
