News Editor Nigeria Language Services at BBC

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.