News Editor Nigeria Language Services

BBC World Service is establishing a new Nigeria Languages Services Unit in Lagos, bringing together BBC Pidgin, BBC Yoruba and BBC Igbo under a single editorial leadership for the first time.

Job Requisition ID: 48250

Job Closing Date: 15 July 2026

Lagos, NGA, 101233

Job Details

JOB BAND: E
CONTRACT TYPE: Permanent, Full-time
DEPARTMENT: BBC News
LOCATION: Lagos, Nigeria

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

The Nigeria Languages Editor will set the strategic direction across three language services, lead a shared on-demand production hub and drive a digital-first approach that deepens the BBC’s reach and relevance — particularly among young women, who represent our most underserved and fastest-growing audience segment – while maintaining the highest editorial standards.

WHY JOIN THE TEAM

BBC World Service is establishing a new Nigeria Languages Services Unit in Lagos, bringing together BBC Pidgin, BBC Yoruba and BBC Igbo under a single editorial leadership for the first time.
These services reach audiences across West Africa and a highly engaged global diaspora, delivering independent and impartial journalism to predominantly young audiences navigating political uncertainty, disinformation, and challenges to democracy and governance. The BBC’s editorial independence remains central to the trust audiences place in its output.

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AND IMPACT:

• Set and deliver the editorial vision for Nigeria Language Services, translating BBC World Service priorities into a clear, ambitious and executable regional strategy aligned across all language teams.
• Lead a multi-country, multilingual editorial workforce, fostering a unified culture of excellence while preserving the unique identity, voice and audience connection of each service.
• Provide strategic leadership and line management to three Assistant Editors and a Senior Journalist Team Manager, driving performance, editorial quality, talent development and succession planning.
• Own and execute a digital-first, video-led content strategy, delivering platform-specific growth across YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, WhatsApp and BBC digital ecosystems.
• Drive audience growth and engagement, with targeted strategies to expand reach among young audiences, women, and diaspora communities across West Africa.
• Lead the On-Demand Production Hub and Social Media Studio, ensuring consistent, high-quality video output and positioning the hub as a centre of excellence for innovation and collaboration.
• Commission and oversee high-impact journalism, including investigations, documentaries, data-led storytelling and long- and mid-form video, enabling ambitious cross-service projects that would not be possible individually.

YOUR SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA:

• Proven track record of editorial leadership at a senior level in journalism, with a strong record of producing ambitious, high-impact journalism in complex political environments.
• Demonstrated success in breaking down organisational silos and building collaborative cultures.
• Proven track record of developing and implementing successful data-led video strategies that delivered measurable digital growth.
• Experience of leading teams through significant organisational change, with the interpersonal skill and emotional intelligence to do so with transparency and care.
• Deep knowledge of the Nigeria media market and its audiences, particularly politics, societies and languages.
• Experience of driving audience growth specifically among young and female audiences, including through digital-first and video-led content strategies.
• Strong communication skills in English, and one of the three Nigerian hub languages, both written and verbal, with the ability to represent the BBC effectively in senior internal forums.

If you can bring some of these skills and experiences, 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.