Awolowo, Enahoro, Williams and Nigerian Television

By Lanre Idowu

December 19, 2010 03:04AM

One name which is often associated with the birth of Nigerian television is that of Obafemi Awolowo. Two other names that had a hand in television’s glorious debut are Anthony Eromosele Enahoro, and Rotimi Williams.

Awolowo passed on in 1987; Williams in 2005 and Enahoro December 15, 2010. While Awolowo, as premier of Western Region, had the honour of presiding over the administration that gave birth to Africa’s first television station, Enahoro as Home Affairs Minister supervised broadcasting, and Williams was the Minister of Justice and Attorney General, whose forensic persuasive skills came in handy in convincing Awolowo to embrace television broadcasting.

As Enahoro reminisced on December 22, 1993, at the second presentation of the Diamond Awards for Media Excellence (D.A.M.E.), television was seen as a medium of entertainment, which would have been difficult to sell to Awo, who detested frivolity. So, between the two men, emphasis was placed on television’s capacity to boost the Western Regional government’s free education programme.

A persuaded Awolowo acknowledged this educational thrust of television when he declared on November 1, 1959: “Television will serve as teacher and entertainer and as a stimulus to us all to transform Nigeria into a modern and prosperous nation. You will all gain much from this great medium of mass information and instruction. It is a powerful influence for good”.

The take off of television was in line with the vision to consolidate the West’s free education programme, widen its media power, and realize its media goals. The region had successfully championed the transfer of broadcasting to the concurrent list following the review of the Macpherson Constitution in 1954. And Enahoro was central to the path of development broadcasting trod.

Earlier on June 9, 1959, the Overseas Rediffusion Ltd signed a 15-year agreement with Enahoro on behalf of the government of Western Region, to form a company to exploit commercial broadcasting and television in the Region.

The Western Nigeria Broadcasting Act provided for a seven-member corporation that held office for three years in the first instance. To underscore the importance placed on education, the Act provided that “Programmes designated as being of special educational nature or of special interest to the public should not be interrupted by any advertisement or sponsored announcement.” Enahoro, as minister, was empowered “to designate the types or classes of advertisements or sponsored announcements that may immediately precede or follow any programme especially broadcast for schools.” The Minister had general control over the corporation on policy matters; but had an advisory board to counsel in formulating these policies. Funded by the government, the corporation’s accounts were subject to public scrutiny and had to submit an annual report to the region’s legislative houses.

Under Enahoro, the government of Western Nigeria bought 1,000 television sets, which it distributed to schools and hospitals. To boost viewing, the government also gave public servants loans to acquire television sets. The television station started at Ibadan but had a relay station at Ikeja, which made it possible for all settlements about 50 miles radius of both towns to pick its channels, thereby giving a spread and impact, which the Nigerian Television Service lacked.

The station, WNTV, began on a “bold and imaginative” note, proclaiming its slogan FIRST IN AFRICA. This pioneering foresight manifested in 1962 when the Federal Government started its own television service. Assigned two standard frequencies on Band 1, WNTV broadcast from Lagos and Ibadan. The Federal Government’s tardiness meant, “It could only utilise one frequency for its own television channel. The economic and political price it paid for dragging its feet was that its transmission would be confined to Lagos only.”

In the beginning, WNTV lived up to its promise of running educational television. Of the daily six and half broadcast hours, three were devoted to educational programmes transmitted “from 11.00am to 2.00pm to about one hundred schools equipped with television receivers in the region.” Sound broadcasting under the acronym WNBS (Western Nigerian Broadcasting Service) commenced in May 1960. Both had the strong imprints of Enahoro. It is true that Enahoro had crossed over from the Western House of Assembly to the Federal House of Representatives by the time WNBS took off but there is no denying that the groundwork took place under him in Ibadan. Indeed, he negotiated and signed the deal in 1959. Until the military intervention in 1966, both WNTV-WNBS set the pace for other electronic media in the country.

For the invaluable contributions he made to the birth of television and commercial radio, the country owes Enahoro a debt of gratitude. He was a trailblazer, who showed commendable courage and drive, an astute debater who projected his government’s interests with tact and wisdom; and a concerned professional who laid much emphasis on the finest attributes of professionalism. May his soul find peace!

Portions of this tribute are excerpts from a forthcoming book, “Master of His Age: The Story of Anthony Enahoro” edited by Lanre Idowu.

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