Studio Kalangou is a daily radio programme in Niger launched in 2016. It offers daily news bulletins in 5 languages (French, Hausa, Zarma, Tamasheq and Fula) as well as cultural, debate and current affairs programmes.
In 2025, 12 journalists host these programmes, supported by a network of around thirty correspondents in the country’s 8 regions. Studio Kalangou’s broadcast network includes 30 private and community partner radio stations that enable it reach 60% of Niger’s population. The studio provides its partners with financial support and journalistic, technical and managerial skills training.
Financial volume 2024
1 693 175CHF
Sources of funding
- Switzerland (SDC Mandate)
- United Kingdom (FCDO – ISF)
- Switzerland (SDC Core Contribution)
- IFPIM – International Fund for Public Interest Media
- Belgium (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
- Germany (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
- Czech Republic (Ministry of Foreign Affairs)
- Fondation du Domaine de Villette, France & Thierry Lombard
Key figures for 2024
169,500 followers on social media
3.4 million listeners per week
172 journalists, technicians and managers trained
52 radio partners
5 broadcast languages
980 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
The 3 Sahel countries now grouped in the Alliance of Sahel States (AES) face common security, humanitarian, energy and environmental challenges. In Niger, we have observed the shrinking of spaces for expression and of freedoms and civil rights, which is a worrying development for civil society actors and defenders of human rights. Increased pressure on the media (as highlighted by the call of 500 community radio stations in the Sahel for the protection of local journalism) is having a negative impact on the quality of news production, while rumours and mis- and dis-information proliferate.
Building trust in the age of disinformation
Studio Kalangou has adapted to this political climate and to the significant economic issues that impact media in the Sahel by reshaping its programming.
With a focus on our core activities, we aimed to establish programming that is relevant to audiences. The new, shorter programme (1 hour per day) consists of a combined offer based on the model of solutions journalism, including debates, regional updates and audio documentaries. As linguistic diversity is the key to reaching a maximum number of listeners, production has been maintained in the 5 languages. The aim of this core programme is to create a more agile media, easier to fund and to sustain, while continuing to provide effective and high-quality service in the Nigerien media landscape.
Studio Kalangou is continuing to roll out its digital strategy to strengthen its presence among specific target populations such as young people and urban residents. This strategy is based on the development of innovative formats designed for direct broadcast, accessible via mobile phone with low data consumption for users.
It aims to strengthen the hybrid approach of online (social media) and offline (radio) broadcasting, through dedicated productions that complement and align with the core traditional radio work.
Studio Kalangou focuses on its core business: providing solutions-oriented journalism and training to meet Niger’s current challenges.
Studio Kalangou is enhancing its coverage of subregional issues through Sahel co-productions (Studio Kalangou, Studio Tamani, and Studio Yafa), focusing on shared challenges in order to address these topics from a regional and inclusive perspective. Broadcast in 10 languages (Bambara, Dioula, Fulfuldé, Gulmancema, Hausa, Mooré, Songhai, Tamasheq, Zarma, and French), these co-productions include magazines, reports, public debates, and fact-checking initiatives.
Among the key developments for Studio Kalangou in 2025 is the pursuit of greater gender parity within the editorial conference. We internally monitor the participation of women journalists during editorial meetings to ensure they are free to propose topics.
However, the thematic distribution of content remains gendered, with women more frequently assigned to domestic topics and less to those related to security,
politics, or conflict. We are undertaking in-depth work to diversify and balance topic coverage, avoiding genderbased assignment of themes.
Priorities
- Strengthen our digital presence by training our journalists in digital tools and by consolidating our digital productions
- Continue the Sahel coproductions carried out by the three studios in Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso around shared issues
Activities
- Production of cultural programmes, debates, documentaries and radio and video magazines – in 5 languages
- Launch of the Studio Kalangou WhatsApp channel
Our impact
According to an audience survey conducted in 2023, Studio Kalangou’s audience has grown by a remarkable 30% since 2020, with 42% of Niger’s population now listening to its programmes at least once a week.
The level of trust in Studio Kalangou programmes is high: 74% of listeners have absolute confidence in the information broadcast.
Testimonial
“Studio Kalangou’s forums on improved seeds, soils and growing techniques made me want to try my hand at farming. And things are
going very well.”
Issoufou Chaibou, farmer.