The Role Of Radio In The Development Of Onitsha North Local Government

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study.

Radio came to be as a result of the invention of technology, therefore the history of radio in Nigeria started way back with British Broadcasting Corporation. Radio broadcasting was introduced into Nigeria in 1933 by the   then colonial government, it relayed the overseas service of the British Broadcasting Corporation through wired system with loudspeakers at the listening end. The service was called Radio Diffusion System (RDS). From the RDS emerged the Nigeria Broadcasting Service (NBS) in April 1951.Mr T.W Chamlers, a Briton and controller of the BBC Light Entertainment programme was the first Director –General of the NBS. The Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation, NBC came into being in April 1957 through an act of parliament No.39 of 1956 and the Director General was Mr J.A.C Knott Obe. In 1978, the Nigerian Broadcasting Corporation was re-organized to become the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN (http://ww2.radionigeria.gov.ng. April 24,2012. page one).

To Uwakwe (2005:165) the third world countries today is being overwhelmed by the western communication structures. With satellites on the space, the CNN and BBC for instance, continue to invade the third world countries effortlessly. Therefore broadcasting both radio and television, started simultaneously in Eastern Nigeria, Enugu regional capital on the 1st of October,1960. During the civil war, the Eastern Nigeria Broadcasting Corporation (ENBC) was known as Radio Biafra. After the war, it was named  the East Central State Broadcasting Service (ECBS) stationed at Enugu.  With  the creation of old Anambra and Imo states in 1976, it changed to Anambra Broadcasting Service. With the creation of the new Anambra and Enugu States  in 1991 and the subsequent disengagement of the staff on March 16,1992 ,the Anambra Broadcasting Service, Enugu gave birth to Anambra Broadcasting Service (R/TV) Awka and Enugu State Broadcasting Service (ESBS) Enugu. After the state creation, the first movement was to Onitsha- the location of the AM Station. From Onitsha, the headquarters moved to Awka in January 1993 and ABS latter moved to its permanent site on the Enugu/Onitsha Express Way in Awka in January,2002.Today ABS Radio transmits on the frequency 88.5 FM with the four stations(2 television and 2 radio) both at Onitsha and Awka,(http://www.absr-tvawka.com April 24, 2012,page one).

The founding fathers of Onitsha migrated from Benin between 1630 and 1680 and settled immediately after the River Niger. Onitsha in effect started its growth as a waterside settlement often known as the “waterside town” (Udo 1981:8). In 1857, when the trade expedition led by McGregor Laird  on  the Niger arrived at Onitsha, it had a small market like other neighbouring Ibo markets, which was being held then every four days. In the company of the expedition, was Reverend Samuel Ajayi Crowther, a freed slave who led the Church Missionary Society (CMS) team. The CMS Group first arrived at  Onitsha before the Roman Catholic Mission (RCM) which came later.  These  two Christian religious groups were responsible for the establishment of schools and colleges in Onitsha, dating from the 19th Century. Historically, Onitsha has exercised a great deal of political, economic, and social influence over the surrounding regions. The neighbouring towns of Obosi, Nkpor, Oba, Ogidi, Nkwelle - Ezunaka, and Umunya constitute parts of the region of the city’s influence.

The influx of traders from all parts of the country and the Cameroon to buy at Onitsha is an important factor that invariably contributed to the town’s physical and population growth so far. A major feature of the Onitsha’s growth and attraction of traders over the years is that, non-indigenes accounted for more than 70% the total population. There are two local government areas in the Onitsha metropolis therefore the main concern of this study is the Onitsha north local government area, which is where the villages are situated and is underdeveloped. The cases of slums, physical and environmental unalertness show that structures are built any how, anywhere. High rising buildings are constructed with hardly any road access to them, and with no  water supplies even on the ground floors, much less on the higher floors. That  the  city is located on the banks of the great River Niger makes no difference to the paucity of its water supply. Several other sections/ neighbourhoods of the city are a built up of unregulated, congested, ramshackle housing surrounded by indescribable filth. There are no drainage facilities or solid waste disposal  facilities.  Mountains of refuse are common features everywhere and they  continue  to creep increasingly into the limited road spaces”. While slums are  residential areas in towns and cities, that lack adequate access to water and sanitation and secure tenure; and their buildings are of poor structural quality with insufficient living area UN-HABITAT (2002:1).