BBC World Service is bringing its educational programme Dars to West Africa. Launched by BBC News Hausa, Dars Hausa addresses the urgent educational need in the region by sharing lessons for 11–16-year-olds based on the best of the BBC’s teaching content.
Nigeria has one of the highest numbers of out-of-school children in the world. The UN estimates that nearly 19 million children are missing out on education. The threat posed by armed groups and risk of abduction are among the factors keeping children out of the classroom.
In the north, years of conflict, displacement, and insecurity has forced millions of people from their homes, including large numbers of children whose education has been disrupted or cut short entirely. For many displaced children, access to regular schooling remains limited, creating an urgent need for alternative sources of learning.
Dars, or “lesson”, shares English, maths, and science lessons in Hausa, with additional learning on mental health and inspirational stories.
Launching on 17 November, the first series will consist of 12 episodes. Dars was first launched in 2023 in Pashto and Dari, to bring learning to Afghan children barred school. Dars Arabic was launched in February 2025.
Fiona Crack, Director, BBC World Service, said, “Education is a fundamental right, yet for many children affected by conflict and displacement, access to the classroom remains out of reach. 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.”
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.
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 via BBC News Hausa’s digital 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.
