MUMBAI: BBC World Service has announced the launch of a major roadshow which further expands its outreach among audiences in rural Nigeria.  From Monday 9 March, in what is BBC Hausa's most ambitious editorial initiative yet, the BBC Hausa A Karkara roadshow will embark on a journey of around 30 villages across 11 states in Northern Nigeria.

Broadcasting live from some of the country's remotest locations for 21 days, the BBC Hausa Village Roadshow will engage its rural audiences in conversations about issues that matter to them, including education, healthcare, transportation, water supplies, local markets and local economy, nomadic life, political representation and more.

Head of BBC Hausa, Jamilah Tangaza says:  A large proportion of BBC Hausa's 20 million weekly listeners live in rural areas, and with BBC Hausa A Karkara we want to reconnect with this audience, demonstrating to them once again the importance we attach to their contribution in our programmes. This roadshow will serve as a platform, from which our listeners will present their problems and views to our wider audiences, including those in power, thus promoting general debate on issues affecting lives in rural Nigeria.

BBC Hausa A Karkara promises to be an exciting, engaging and also a most challenging initiative.  We will be broadcasting from quite isolated locations, sometimes perhaps making whole programmes under a tree, using kerosene lanterns and a satellite dish.  Our audience is at the centre of this roadshow – and, in fact, at the centre of everything we do at the BBC, and with BBC Hausa A Karkara we are getting a wonderful opportunity to engage directly with them....

The BBC Hausa A Karkara bus is taking the roadshow to the following states: Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Niger, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.  Throughout the duration of the initiative, the BBC's rebroadcasting partners in Ghana (Zuria 88.7 FM in Kumasi and Fiila 89.3 FM in Tamale) and Niger (R&M 104.5 FM in Niamey, Radio Anfani 100.0 FM in Diffa, Birnin Konni, Maradi and Zinder, and Radio Tarmamuwa  97.0 FM in Tessaoua) will run daily 10-minute reports about BBC Hausa A Karkara.