Zainab Bala, a former presenter of GIST Nigeria, a current affairs programme jointly produced by BBC Africa and Channels Television, has recounted how her decision to wear her hijab on air became an issue during her nine-month stint on the programme.
Ms Bala disclosed this while appearing on the second episode of The HSM Tribe, a YouTube platform focused on Muslim women, which aired on 28 August.
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She is an award-winning journalist and the founder of The Scoop Storytelling Initiative. She won the 2021 Michael Elliott Award for Excellence in African Storytelling from the International Centre for Journalists for her documentary on the abuse and neglect of Almajiri children. She was also the 2024 recipient of The Future Awards Africa Prize for Journalism.
According to Ms Bala, the hijab issue began after she was recruited to work on the programme in 2023. She said she wore her hijab during her recruitment interview and was asked whether she would present the programme with her head covered if she got the job.“I said yes because this is how I dress,” she said on the podcast.
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When PREMIUM TIMES reached out to her for further details, she said the BBC subsequently offered her the job, that she moved from Abuja to Lagos, and that she began training before filming her first episode.
First episode delayed
Ms Bala said the programme was recorded with her hijab on at the Channels Television headquarters in Lagos, but it was not broadcast for several weeks, while programmes presented by another member of the team continued to air.
She said she later learnt from her editor that there had been discussions with Channels Television about her appearance.
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“The reason why my programme was not aired was that they had been having a back-and-forth with Channels, and that’s because Channels said they do not project a hijab-wearing person on their screens,” she said.
Ms Bala said the development left her feeling “stereotyped” and demoralised.
Agreement with employers
Ms Bala said she had expected the issue to have been addressed during her recruitment because she had already made it clear that she would continue wearing her hijab.
“I don’t think this is something to debate about,” she said.
She said the BBC subsequently tried to reach an agreement with Channels that would allow her to continue wearing a head covering, but with restrictions on her appearance.
Ms Bala said she initially considered leaving but decided to remain because she believed her presence could open opportunities for other Muslim women.
“I stayed because I realised that this was deeply rooted, and there hasn’t been any conversation around this,” she said.
She eventually presented several programmes and said her background as a Muslim woman from northern Nigeria influenced some of the stories she brought to the programme, particularly stories about women challenging stereotypes in northern Nigeria.
Other reasons for exit
Ms Bala further noted that the hijab issue was not the only reason she left the BBC. She alleged that she also experienced what she described as “mental and emotional bullying” from her editor.
She said the experience contributed to her decision to leave the organisation, although she had initially planned to move between BBC teams and continue developing her career there.
“I just left for my peace of mind. It was the most depressing nine months of my life,” she said.
Ms Bala also alleged that other members of the team had complained about the editor’s conduct.
BBC responds
To obtain the response of the parties involved, PREMIUM TIMES contacted Omotola Adebanjo, editor of GIST Nigeria, and Ehizojie Okharedia, head of West Africa at BBC News, on 5 September.
The organisation was asked to confirm Ms Bala’s account of her recruitment interview, the delay in broadcasting her first programme, and whether any policy or production guideline restricted presenters from appearing on air wearing a hijab.
PREMIUM TIMES also asked whether Ms Bala’s religious identity or appearance was a factor in decisions concerning her role and whether she had raised complaints about bullying before leaving.
Robin Miller, head of communications, BBC News, responded on behalf of the BBC. Mr Miller initially questioned the premise of the questions, saying the BBC had evidence that Ms Bala presented GIST Nigeria on multiple occasions, wearing her hijab.
“This contradicts much of what you have put to us in your questions below,” he said.
PREMIUM TIMES clarified that the query was not about whether Ms Bala had appeared on screen with her head covered, but about the form of hijab she wore, including during her interview, and the discussions about her appearance not to “look too Muslim”.
The BBC was also asked to respond to her allegation of mental and emotional bullying by her editor.
On 10 September, Mr Miller sent PREMIUM TIMES a photograph of Ms Bala presenting in a hijab, along with the BBC’s response.
“The BBC strives to be an inclusive workplace where every colleague feels respected, supported and able to do their best work.”
He noted in the response that the BBC has presenters and correspondents who regularly wear hijab on screen, “and this includes whilst presenting GIST Nigeria.”
“We do not comment on individual HR matters; however, as a general principle, we take complaints about bullying very seriously, and where allegations are made, they are fully investigated,” he added.
Bala disputes BBC’s photograph
PREMIUM TIMES subsequently sent the photograph shared by Mr Miller to Ms Bala. She said the photograph was from a report she did and not from her presentation of the GIST Nigeria programme.
“This is a report, not a presentation of the show,” she said. She said she believed there would be no footage showing her presenting the programme in the full hijab she normally wore.
She also acknowledged that other reporters had presented BBC programmes wearing their hijabs, but suggested that her situation may have been different because GIST Nigeria was jointly produced with Channels Television.
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“I am hoping other Muslim women who come to these platforms are allowed to present shows without making compromises,” she said.
Hijab and professional spaces
The use of hijab in professional and institutional settings has previously generated debate in Nigeria.
In 2017, law graduate Amasa Firdaus was prevented from attending her Call to Bar ceremony after refusing to remove her hijab. The following year, she was allowed to attend the ceremony wearing the hijab and was called to the Nigerian Bar.
Also, in January 2019, the National Industrial Court in Lagos ruled in a case involving Hawaw Olatunji, who had been denied an interview at the Federal Medical Centre, Ebute Metta, because she was wearing a hijab.
The court declared that refusing to interview her solely because she wore the hijab was discriminatory and violated Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution.
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