Radio channel contributed to democracy in Nigeria

In 1986, Nigerian author Wole Soyinka became the first black African to win the Nobel Prize in Literature. He used his position as a Nobel laureate to fight for democracy and freedom of expression in Africa, and in Nigeria in particular. Soyinka became a leading figure in the fight against dictator Sani Abacha, who seized power in Nigeria in a military coup in 1993. Soyinka then applied to Stavanger to establish a free radio channel for Nigeria. The broadcasts were produced by Nigerian journalists in Stavanger and transmitted via South Africa to Nigeria. Nelson Mandela single-handedly ensured that the radio channel received the necessary license in South Africa. The radio station contributed to Nigeria becoming a democracy from 1999.