Kaduna — About nine months after it was handed over by the Japanese government, the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) Kaduna's 200Kw medium wave transmitter was commissioned at the Jaji transmission station yesterday. This is not the first time Japan is granting such aid to the FRCN, Barrister Yusuf Nuhu, the Director General said.

"I can be recalled vividly between 1989 and 1990, it extended to FRCN a 2. 5 billion yen, which is equivalent to N1.5 billion grant in aid of our alternative power generating project", he said. The Director General also disclosed that work was presently going on in the second phase of the same project at the Enugu national station.

This donation, he further said, symbolized the mutual wish of both Nigeria and Japan to work together. Alhaji Halilu Getso, a former Zonal Director of FRCN Kaduna, praised the Japanese government for assisting the radio station. He however lamented that the commissioning was a day of sober reflection and not celebration. According to him, the station's Jaji transmitting station used to have 10 of such 200 mw transmitter that was being commissioned.

The former Zonal Director said the neglect of those in authority contributed to the collapse of the transmitters and the radio station was celebrating the receipt of one. Emir of Zazzau Alhaji Shehu Idris acknowledged the station's programmes, adding that radio was central to the Distance Learning Programme which the government had introduced.