BBC launches Hausa educational program for children in West Africa

The BBC World Service is set to launch the Hausa edition of its award-winning educational programme, Dars, to provide learning opportunities for children aged 11 to 16 in West Africa.

The programme, known as Dars Hausa, will feature television, radio and digital lessons in English, mathematics and science, alongside content on mental health and inspirational stories.

According to the BBC, the first series will premiere on November 17 and consist of 12 episodes.

Dars Hausa will air on BBC News Hausa on Sundays at 05:30 GMT, with a repeat at 19:30 GMT.

The programme will also be available on BBC News Hausa’s social media platforms, including YouTube, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok.

Full-length episodes can be found in the Courses section of the BBC News Hausa YouTube channel. Audiences can also listen on medium wave and through partner FM stations.

The launch comes amid concerns over the number of out-of-school children in Nigeria, particularly in the northern region, where insecurity, displacement and armed group activities have disrupted access to education.

The United Nations estimates that nearly 19 million children in Nigeria are out of school, making the country one of the nations with the highest number of children missing out on formal education.

In northern Nigeria, years of conflict and insecurity have forced millions of people from their homes, including children whose education has been interrupted or cut short.

Many displaced children continue to face limited access to regular schooling, highlighting the need for alternative learning opportunities.

The BBC said Dars Hausa was designed to address some of these challenges by providing Hausa-speaking children with access to educational content drawn from its teaching resources.

Fiona Crack, director of the BBC World Service, said education was a fundamental right, but many children affected by conflict and displacement remained unable to attend school.

“Dars Hausa has been designed to bring trusted, engaging and educational content directly to Hausa-speaking children who face barriers to education, adding to the Dars catalogue of lessons in Pashto, Dari and Arabic,” she said.

The Hausa edition expands the Dars programme, which was first launched in 2023 in Pashto and Dari to provide educational content for Afghan children facing barriers to schooling.

The Arabic edition followed in February 2025.

The new series will be presented from the BBC Hausa studio in Abuja.

The Dars team is led by Awwal Ahmad and presenters will include:

Aisha Babangida is a broadcast journalist and multimedia producer with experience creating digital, video, radio, and social media content for Hausa-speaking audiences across Nigeria and beyond. Originally from Kano State, she began her career at Jigawa Broadcasting House before working with the News Agency of Nigeria and Trust TV, and joining BBC News Hausa in 2023, where she writes and produces digital content in Hausa and English.

Ahmad Kabo Idris is an award-winning multimedia journalist, presenter, translator and voice artist with experience working across radio, television and digital media in Nigeria. Born in Kano and based in Abuja, Ahmad has worked as a journalist, news presenter, editor and translator with broadcasters including Arewa Radio, Freedom Radio and the BBC. At the BBC, he has reported, produced and presented stories across governance, health, security and social affairs for Hausa-speaking audiences.

Abdulrahman Salihu is a multimedia journalist and digital content producer with experience in broadcast journalism, and documentary production. His work focuses on public service journalism using radio programming and digital storytelling. Abdulrahman brings his journalistic and multimedia production experience to creating engaging educational content for young audiences, supporting BBC Dars’ aim of making learning accessible for Hausa-speaking children.

Awwal Ahmad is the Senior Journalist Team Manager for Dars Hausa, with over 19 years of experience in international journalism, digital media, content production and newsroom leadership. Awwal joined BBC in 2017 and has held several senior editorial and digital roles, leading teams and driving innovative storytelling across digital and social platforms.