§ 41. Mr. Keelingasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies whether, pending construction of a broadcasting station at Lagos, he will arrange for broadcasts to be made in Hausa to the 10,000,000 of Hausa-speaking peoples in British West Africa.
Mr. Creech JonesI am informed that broadcasts in Hausa are already made over rediffusion systems which serve many of the larger Nigerian cities, and these re-diffusion services are being extended. My information is that in the Gold Coast news in Hausa is broadcast by the rediffusion service at Kumasi, where the bulk of the small Hausa-speaking population is concentrated. Owing to lack of electric power Hausa broadcasts from Accra transmitting station, which can be heard in both Nigeria and the Gold Coast, have ceased, but their resumption is under consideration. The possibility of broadcasts from this country in Hausa has been considered, but is regarded as impracticable at present.
§ Mr. KeelingAs the 10 million Hausa-speaking people, or at any rate their leaders, do not know anything about the services which the right hon. Gentleman says exist, will he tell them about them?
§ Mr. ErrollIs the right hon. Gentleman aware that the rediffusion sets are mostly to be found in the large towns and in the South, where the Hausa people do not live?