Studio Kalangou is a daily radio program about Niger that launched in 2016. It offers news broadcasts in five languages (French, Hausa, Zarma, Tamashek, and Fulfulde), cultural programs, debates, magazines, documentaries, and videos.
In 2025, fifteen journalists host these various programs. They are supported by a network of around thirty correspondents working in the country’s eight regions. Its broadcasting network includes 52 private and community radio partners, reaching 60% of the Nigerien population. Studio Kalangou provides them with financial support and capacity building in the areas of journalism, technology, and management. The content is also broadcast on Studio Kalangou’s website, social media, and a free telephone service.
Annual Budget
1’400’000 CHF
Sources of funding
- Switzerland (SDC mandate)
- United Kingdom (FCDO-ISF)
- Switzerland (SDC core contribution)
- Belgium (MoFA)
- Germany (MoFA)
- Czech Republic (MAE)
- Norway (MoFA)
- Private foundations
Key figures for 2025
200,000 followers on social media
3.4 million listeners per week
172 journalists, technicians and managers trained (2024)
52 radio partners
5 broadcast languages
440 hours of broadcasting per year
Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI): this initiative provides a regulatory framework and certifies media that practice professional and ethical journalism.
More information on the project is available in our factsheet Audience Study 2023.
Context
In 2025, the Nigerien media landscape is marked by a shrinking civic space and increased pressure on information professionals, encouraging self-censorship. Influencers occupy a growing place in the information ecosystem and are redefining distribution channels. Radio remains an essential means of accessing information in rural areas, despite financial, energy, technical, and security challenges. Against a backdrop of polarized public debate, misinformation and disinformation are spreading widely on social media, fueled by regional dynamics and the rise of generative artificial intelligence. This trend is eroding public trust in the media, even as the need for reliable information on security, essential services, and humanitarian crises remains high, while journalists’ access to official sources remains limited.
Maintaining reliable information in the face of constraints
Reporting remains possible in Niger, but today requires constant adaptation in the face of growing constraints. In this context, Studio Kalangou reaffirms its commitment to journalistic charters and ethics, prioritizing rigorous, nuanced, and useful information through thematic and service-oriented journalism that is close to the realities of the population. Faced with the difficulties of the context and declining funding in the Sahel, a restructuring program was implemented in early 2025, resulting in a new schedule that came into effect on March 3. This reduces daily production from three hours to one hour while maintaining the five languages of broadcast in order to preserve access to information for all audiences. The flagship programs (Le Niger sur Kalangou, Le Forum, and Tous à la Fada) have been retained, as have the mini-documentaries, Sahel co-productions, and fact-checking content, which are essential in the face of the rapid spread of misinformation.
Studio Kalangou continues to implement its Media and Information Literacy (MIL) strategy. Based on the observation that the fight against disinformation cannot rely solely on debunking false information, our approach aims to strengthen citizens’ critical thinking skills so that they can better distinguish between reliable sources and misleading content. This strategy combines on-air awareness-raising, through the weekly “Digital Education” segment, with in-person interventions in schools and universities. A pool of seven journalist-trainers has also been set up to conduct MIE sessions with young and rural audiences in the regions.
In Niger, Fondation Hirondelle aims to strengthen the resilience of its network of partner radio stations by gradually equipping them with solar energy, in order to reduce their carbon footprint and promote more sustainable energy sources and more viable economic models. This approach is part of the Foundation’s localization strategy, which aims to strengthen the resilience of partner media outlets while respecting their autonomy.
In the area of learning, research will be conducted over the next two years on the effects of the media and information literacy (MIL) activities developed by Studio Kalangou. It will aim to better understand how these activities contribute to strengthening citizens’ ability to access information, analyze it critically, and distinguish between information and disinformation.
Studio Kalangou will also strengthen interaction with its audiences, particularly through its WhatsApp groups, in order to promote direct dialogue with listeners and better identify their information needs in real time.
Priorities
- Strengthen our inclusive digital presence with multilingual productions (particularly in Hausa) via various digital platforms.
Activities
- Launch of Studio Kalangou’s WhatsApp and TikTok channels in national languages.
- Diversify audiovisual formats (audiograms) and continue Sahel co-productions.
Our impact
Studio Kalangou relies on a network of 52 partner radio stations spread across Niger. These local and community radio stations play an essential role in broadcasting programs in several languages and ensuring access to information, even in the most remote areas. This partnership also helps to strengthen editorial capabilities and information verification within the radio stations. A survey conducted at the end of 2025 shows that 90% of partner radio stations say they are satisfied with this collaboration.
Testimonial
“Studio Kalangou is not just a media outlet, it is a true benchmark in Niger for professional, independent, and balanced news coverage. Through its programs, it helps to strengthen social cohesion, peace, and understanding between communities. The training courses in audio and video journalism were decisive in my career. I learned rigor, journalistic ethics, respect for sources, and balanced treatment of information.”
Correspondent in Agadez/Tabelot and founder of Tegades Web TV