First in Africa

Have you ever wondered what the first television station in Africa looked like and where it was located? Well, I wondered a little harder, and I found something that might interest you.

Regular television broadcasting began in the early 1920s in countries such as the United States and Germany, though it was mostly experimental. But on 2 November 1936, London pioneered scheduled television programming for the public by launching the world's first regular high-definition television service from Alexandra Palace. This television service was credited to the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).

Over time, television broadcasting became a tool for information and entertainment. And by the 1940s and 1950s, the use of television stations was spreading across Europe and North America, shaping modern media history. However, Africa didn’t join the game until October 31, 1959, when Western Nigeria Television (MNTV) was launched in Ibadan with its founding motto being “First in Africa”.

It is easy to assume that the first television station in Africa was launched in South Africa, given its history of telecommunications. But it’s quite the opposite! A year before Nigeria gained independence, WNTV began operations in Ibadan under the government of the Western Region, led by Chief Obafemi Awolowo. This launch made Nigeria the pioneer country of television broadcasting on the African continent.

At first, the station was established to enhance education and promote regional development, as mass education was the only way to free citizens from illiteracy and ignorance. The launch was revolutionary at a time when many African nations were still under colonial rule and lacked modern broadcast infrastructure. Remember, this came at a time when television equipment was expensive, technical expertise was limited, and the electricity supply was inconsistent in many parts of the country. Yet, the Western Region government pushed forward because it was the only way to engage the future.

The WNTV station later evolved into what is popularly known today as the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA) following national broadcasting reforms in the 1970s. To date, the Nigerian Television Authority remains one of the largest television networks in Africa, and it’s a direct institutional descendant of that first bold experiment in Ibadan.