Vincent Maduka, NTA's pioneering CEO, details his broadcasting career under military rule

 Vincent Maduka, NTA's pioneering CEO, details his broadcasting career under military rule

Vincent Maduka, the first director general of the National Television Authority (NTA), recounted his career in the audiovisual scene under the military regime.

Maduka is a broadcast engineer who served as the General Manager of Western Nigerian Television (WNTV) and a former Chief Engineer from 1968 to 1973.

Maduka is a broadcast engineer who worked at Western Nigeria Television (WNTV) from 1961 to 1968. When WNTV became NTA, he served as the television station's first general manager from 1977 to 1986.

On October 13, 2022, the author released his memoir entitled "The Reel Life: My Years Managing Public Service Television", which tells the story of African broadcasting.

The memoir also details the history of public service broadcasting in Africa from a Nigerian perspective based on Maduka's work and personal account.

On February 22, the broadcasting ace hosted a reading session of "Reel Life" at Rovingheights Bookstore in Oniru on Victoria Island, Lagos. The session was organized by the Relevant Art Committee (CORA).

Maduka talked about his time with WNTV and how he was working as a broadcast engineer under the military regime.

The 87-year-old author also spoke of his decision to retire at age 50 under Ibrahim Babangida's regime.

“We received phone calls from the government house directly to the press room. The practice of journalism at WNTV was then greatly degraded,” he said.

He added that as a broadcast engineer at the time, "we were required to be third-party certified, unlike journalists, newscasters and creatives who have well-defined qualifications beyond job assimilation or job assimilation in station". ”

“But Bisi Oyeleye has decided to formalize the audiovisual profession.

“Under the military, WNTV was able to enforce certain rules and guidelines. We were no longer forced to be censored.

“We were able to undertake adventure programs, analysis, discussion programs, etc. And the soldiers did not bother us.

“So this independent TV and radio culture started on WNTV.

“I came to Lagos anyway, enough of the partisanship because as an engineer I was a bit protected and federally we were close to the Dodan barracks and it was like they were sending people to see what was going on there.

"So when I arrived, I was considered a rebel because I came from a relatively isolated but independent background."

Maduka said he returned to Nigeria after completing his engineering scholarship in the UK because the salary was good and he was excited to work as NTA's first chief executive.

"After I was appointed as the first CEO of the NTA, we couldn't charge people a lot for licenses because there were some people who had televisions," he said.

"I stayed in Nigeria to be the CEO of NTA because there was more happiness.

“After my diploma, I did an apprenticeship for two years. When I finished that, they offered me £600 for a permanent job there. £600 at the time was equivalent to Nigerian money.

“I lived in an apartment, where we shared an apartment. The offer I received from Nigeria was a payment difference of £950.

In "Reel Life", Maduka also highlighted his personal experiences with different military governments.