Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) provided live broadcast equipment support to the TELE SAHEL channel operating under the Office of Radio and Television of Niger (ORTN), the state broadcaster of Niger.

The first phase of the project consisting of two stages had been held with the provision of the 6th generation live broadcast equipment in 2021. This allowed access to satellites other than European satellites and significantly improved the live broadcast opportunities of the channel.

In the 2nd phase of the project, a complementary next-generation modulator, a signal transmitter, a KU band amplifier, and analysers were provided to ORTN. Thus, the channel will have the opportunity to broadcast live several organizations, particularly football matches, across the world. In addition, the channel will be able to broadcast live in good quality in the countryside of the region and present the latest news of these regions simultaneously to the Nigerien public.

The ceremony for the delivery of the equipment was held with participation from the Turkish Ambassador, Özgür Çınar, Minister of Communications of Niger, Mahamadou Laouali Dan Dano, TİKA’s Coordinator in Niamey, Tanju Polat, General Manager of ORTN, Seydou Ousmane, and representatives of other news agencies of Niger.

Speaking at the ceremony, Ambassador Çınar said that the 6th generation live broadcast equipment will contribute to the technical modernization of Tele Sahel and that Türkiye is ready to contribute to these innovation processes with its institutions like TRT. 

Minister of Communications of Niger, Dan Dano stated that the relevant equipment is not the only support from TİKA, that the live broadcast capacity of the channel strengthened through grants last year has become even stronger through the second phase of the support project, and that the support makes Türkiye more visible in the eyes of the Nigerien people.

General Manager of ORTN, Ousmane stated that ORTN now has the capacity to broadcast in KU band owing to the next-generation equipment provided by TİKA and has leveled up in terms of this, and thanked TİKA and the Republic of Türkiye.

The project aims to maintain the improvement in the communications infrastructure of Niger, to enable ORTN to reach a capacity to broadcast live across the world, to ensure that Nigerien people are simultaneously informed about the recent news across the country, and to support the Turkish-Nigerien cooperation, which gained momentum in recent years, in the field of media.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).