The BBC World Service is expanding its educational programme Dars into West Africa, with BBC News Hausa producing a Hausa-language edition aimed at children aged 11 to 16, the broadcaster has announced. The first series, made up of 12 episodes, begins on 17 November. Dars Hausa will be carried on television, radio and digital platforms, with material also distributed through BBC News Hausa's social media accounts.
Dars means "lesson". The programme presents English, maths and science teaching in Hausa, drawn from the BBC's own educational content, and adds material on mental health and inspirational stories.
Why it matters
The launch is a response to a severe shortage of schooling in the region. According to the BBC, Nigeria has one of the largest populations of out-of-school children anywhere in the world, and the United Nations estimates that close to 19 million Nigerian children are not receiving an education.
The BBC reports that the presence of armed groups and the danger of abduction are among the reasons children are kept away from classrooms. In northern Nigeria, years of conflict, displacement and insecurity have driven millions of people from their homes, among them many children whose schooling was interrupted or ended altogether. For displaced children, regular access to school often remains scarce, which the BBC says has created a pressing need for other ways to learn.
Dars Hausa is intended to reach Hausa-speaking children who cannot get to a classroom, giving them lessons from a source they already know.
A format already used in Afghanistan and the Arab world
Dars is not a new venture for the World Service. The programme first went on air in 2023 in Pashto and Dari, created to give Afghan children barred from school a way to keep learning. A Dars Arabic edition followed in February 2025. The Hausa version extends that catalogue to West Africa.
Fiona Crack, Director of the BBC World Service, said education is a basic right, but many children affected by conflict and displacement still cannot get into a classroom. She said Dars Hausa was created to deliver reliable and engaging lessons directly to Hausa-speaking children who face obstacles to schooling, and that it joins the existing Pashto, Dari and Arabic editions.
Broadcast times and how to watch
The new series will be presented from the BBC Hausa studio in Abuja. The Dars team is led by Awwal Ahmad; the BBC's announcement names him as team leader but does not list the individual presenters.
Dars Hausa will go out on BBC News Hausa on Sundays at 5.30am GMT, with a repeat at 7.30pm GMT. Audiences can also find it on BBC News Hausa's digital channels, including YouTube, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok. Complete episodes will be posted in the Courses section of the BBC News Hausa YouTube channel. Listeners can tune in on medium wave and on partner FM stations as well.
The first episode airs on 17 November; the full 12-part run and audience response on the digital platforms will show how far the programme reaches children outside formal schooling.
