Digital Journalist, BBC Hausa

BBC World Service is evolving its editorial team in Abuja while future-proofing its journalism to meet changing media consumption habits across sub-Saharan Africa.

Job Requisition ID: 50438

Job Closing Date: 23 August 2026

Abuja, NGA, 904101

JOB DETAILS

JOB BAND: C

CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent, Full-time

DEPARTMENT:BBC World Service

Location: Abuja

We’re happy to discuss flexible working. If you’d like to, please indicate your preference in the application – though there’s no obligation to do so now. Flexible working will be part of the discussion at offer stage.

Any offer of employment with the BBC is conditional upon the candidate having the legal right to work in Nigeria and having successfully completed the mandatory National Youth Service programme (NYSC) or holding a valid certificate of exemption.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

BBC World Service is evolving its editorial team in Abuja while future-proofing its journalism to meet changing media consumption habits across sub-Saharan Africa.

BBC Hausa is one of the most trusted international news providers for audiences across West Africa and a highly engaged global diaspora. With a strong editorial heritage, the service is entering an exciting new phase: transforming into a digital-first, video-led operation designed to reach a new generation of Hausa audiences who primarily consume news via smartphones, YouTube, and social media.

BBC Hausa is transforming into a story-led model built around two complementary editorial streams: On the Day and On Demand.

WHY JOIN THE TEAM

The Journalist is the core production resource of both streams. Whether working a morning, afternoon or night shift within On the Day, or contributing to planned video and podcast production within On Demand, the Journalist is expected to move fluently between platforms, formats and roles (such as writing a web article, filming a clip, voicing a radio package and publishing a social post), often on the same story, within the same shift.

This transformation demands journalists who are not simply willing to work across platforms, but who think across platforms instinctively. That means asking, before production begins, how a story will serve audiences on the website, on YouTube, on TikTok and on radio or TV, and making deliberate choices about format, length and angle for each.

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT:

Create and publish accurate, engaging and SEO-friendly news content for the BBC Hausa website, ensuring timely updates and high editorial standards.
Produce, present, shoot and edit short-form video content for platforms including YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook, using strong storytelling and visual production skills.
Develop compelling social media content that drives audience engagement, expands reach and supports content discovery across digital platforms.
Respond quickly to breaking news, maintaining a consistent flow of content across the website and social channels throughout the day.
Use audience analytics and performance insights to inform content decisions and continuously improve digital output.
Contribute to BBC Hausa’s visualised radio programming, presenting confidently on air and on screen for both broadcast and streaming audiences.
Repurpose live radio and interview content into engaging digital clips, maximising audience reach across social media, YouTube and the BBC Hausa website.

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

Proven experience creating engaging content across digital, social, radio and video platforms, with a strong understanding of audience needs and platform best practice.
Excellent writing, editing and storytelling skills in Hausa, with the ability to produce accurate, engaging and SEO-aware content to tight deadlines.
Strong video production skills, including presenting, self-shooting and editing content for platforms such as YouTube, TikTok, Instagram Reels and Facebook.
Confident using audience analytics, headlines, thumbnails and metadata to optimise content performance, discoverability and engagement.
Experience sourcing, verifying and reporting news accurately and impartially, including handling breaking news and user-generated content.
Strong broadcast skills, including radio production, interviewing and presenting for live, on-demand and visualised programme formats.
Fluent in Hausa and English, with a good understanding of the political, social and cultural landscape of Nigeria and wider West Africa, and the needs of Hausa-speaking audiences.

If you can bring some of these skills and experience, along with transferable strengths, we’d love to hear from you and encourage you to apply.

Disclaimer

This job description is a written statement of the essential characteristics of the job, with its principal accountabilities, incorporating a note of the skills, knowledge and experience required for a satisfactory level of performance. This is not intended to be a complete, detailed account of all aspects of the duties involved.

Please note: If you were to be offered this role, the BBC will conduct Employment screening checks which include Reference checks; Eligibility to work checks; and if applicable to the role, Safeguarding and Adverse media/Social media checks. Any offer made is conditional on these checks being satisfactory.

Before your start date, you may need to disclose any unspent convictions or police charges, in line with our Recruitment policy. This allows us to discuss any support you may need and assess any risks. Failure to disclose may result in the withdrawal of your offer.

For any general queries, please contact: [email protected]

We are unable to accept applications via CV and only applications made online will be considered. Please click on the APPLY NOW button to proceed with your application.