BBC Launches Dars Hausa to Bring Educational Lessons to Children Across West Africa

The BBC World Service is expanding its educational programming in West Africa with the launch of Dars Hausa, a new series designed to provide learning opportunities for children aged 11 to 16, particularly those facing barriers to formal education.

Launched by BBC News Hausa, the programme will offer lessons in English, mathematics and science in the Hausa language. It will also feature content on mental health and inspirational stories aimed at supporting young learners beyond the traditional classroom.

The initiative comes as Nigeria continues to face a major out-of-school children crisis. The United Nations estimates that nearly 19 million children in the country are missing out on education. In northern Nigeria, insecurity, abductions, displacement and prolonged conflict have disrupted schooling for many children, leaving some with limited access to regular learning opportunities.

Dars Hausa is intended to help bridge part of this gap by making educational content accessible through radio and digital platforms. The first series is scheduled to launch on November 17, with 12 episodes planned. The programme will be produced from the BBC Hausa studio in Abuja under the leadership of senior journalist and team manager Awwal Ahmad.

Fiona Crack, Director of BBC World Service, said education remained a fundamental right, even for children affected by conflict and displacement. She said Dars Hausa was developed to bring trusted and engaging educational content directly to Hausa-speaking children who face difficulties accessing classrooms.

The Hausa-language series builds on the BBC’s existing Dars initiative, which began in 2023 with programmes in Pashto and Dari for children in Afghanistan who faced barriers to schooling. Dars Arabic followed in February 2025, extending the educational project to another language community.

The presenting team for Dars Hausa includes Aisha Babangida, Ahmad Kabo Idris and Abdulrahman Salihu, alongside Ahmad’s leadership of the programme. Their backgrounds span broadcast journalism, digital production, reporting, translation and storytelling for Hausa-speaking audiences. The BBC says the team will deliver lessons tailored to young learners.

Dars Hausa will air on BBC News Hausa on Sundays at 5:30 a.m. GMT, with a repeat at 7:30 p.m. GMT. Full episodes will also be available through the Courses section of the BBC News Hausa YouTube channel, while clips and other content will be shared across Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok. Listeners will also be able to access the programme on medium wave and through partner FM stations.

By combining education with the reach of radio and digital media, the BBC hopes to provide another learning resource for Hausa-speaking children whose schooling has been interrupted. However, the programme is intended to complement wider education efforts, rather than replace the need for safe classrooms, trained teachers and sustained access to formal schooling.