By Hadiza Mohammed
Abuja, June 14, 2022 (NAN) The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) and the Bulgarian News Agency (BTA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that will see the two agencies engage in direct exchange of news content and information.
During the signing of the agreement on Tuesday in NAN headquarters, Abuja, the Director-General of BTA, Mr Kiril Valchev, said the “contract” represented the first agreement Bulgaria and Nigeria had signed in the past 25 years.
Valchev described the agreement-signing ceremony as a historic moment as it marked the beginning of a mutually beneficial programme that would enable both news agencies to “help each other” and “have full access” to news content. According to the BTA Director-General, the Bulgarian news agency publishes more than 1,000 news reports and no fewer than 3,000 photos every day.
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He said the Bulgarian news agency would, following the signing of the MoU, begin to publish NAN news stories about Nigeria in its daily bulletin, seven days a week. He said BTA would offer training opportunities to NAN reporters as part of the MoU signed between the two news agencies.
Valchev said the Bulgarian news agency would send reporters to cover the 2023 general elections in Nigeria.
He also urged the management of NAN to endeavour to take steps towards opening its permanent office in Sofia in the early part of 2023, adding that BTA will support NAN towards this end.
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Responding, the Managing Director of NAN, Mr Ponle welcomed the idea put forward by his Bulgarian counterpart.
Ponle said NAN was happy to accept the offer and would work towards it through the Federal Ministry of Information.
He said that the management of NAN had, in February, visited in Addis Ababa in furtherance of plans to reopening of the agency’s office in the Ethiopian capital for global penetration.
The NAN MD said the signing of the MoU “marked a significant milestone between the two agencies” and that it was the beginning of “sustainable and mutually beneficial engagement”.
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According to him, the world was becoming a global village with NAN having a major role to play in the community.
Ponle said NAN’s role, as a major player in the global community, was the reason for its trustworthiness, credibility, truthfulness, relevance and being current in news content dissemination; attributes that had made it reliable.
According to him, NAN is the largest news content provider in Nigeria and has maintained its position in the 36 States of the country.
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NAN reports that Valchev signed the MoU on behalf of the Bulgarian news agency while Ponle signed the document on behalf of NAN. The event was witnessed by the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Bulgaria to Nigeria and members of NAN management. (NAN)
