Radio Maria Nigeria, a non-commercial, non-profit Catholic Radio Station with a mission to evangelize the world, preaching spiritual & social conversion, has inaugurated a new sub-station in Gboko, Benue state, North-central Nigeria.

According to the station, H.E. Bishop William Avenya of Gboko, Bishop Isaac Dugu of Katsina-Ala and hundreds of priests participated in the Holy Mass.

This Radio Maria substation, located in Gboko, is at the pastoral and spiritual service of two dioceses (Gboko and Katsina-Ala), given that the radio signal perfectly covers both dioceses, where the same language is spoken.

The station also termed as another peculiarity the location of the new substation in a very rural and poor, but at the same time very Catholic region.

In order to guarantee uninterrupted broadcasting, this radio station requires solar energy, since electricity is only available a few hours a day and petrol for the generators is very expensive.

In a related development, an energy solar project has been inaugurated to power the operation of Radio Maria Sierra Leone.

The Catholic Archbishop of Freetown, H.E. Monsignor Edward Tamba Charles, inaugurated the project on December 16.

“Now, the radio can seamlessly broadcast 24 hours a day. In the past this radio station has had to face many challenges in order to be on air non-stop,” the station disclosed.

“When the electricity ran out, the generator would kick in for a few hours at very high costs. Now, thanks to solar panels, Radio Maria Sierra Leone in Freetown is able to broadcast all day long. May Our Lady bless the generous hands that have allowed us to bring this project to completion.”