The Voice of Nigeria (VON), the country’s official international broadcasting service, has issued a formal apology following a widely criticized false report that inaccurately declared Morocco as the winner of the 2025 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) final.
The inaccurate report, published by VON before the final whistle, claimed that Nigeria lost 2-0 to Morocco.
In reality, the Super Falcons mounted a dramatic second-half comeback to seal a 3-2 victory—earning their 10th WAFCON title and reinforcing their status as Africa’s most successful women’s football team.
The premature and incorrect report drew swift backlash from the public and media observers, prompting a response from VON’s Director-General, Jibrin Baba Ndace.
In a statement released Sunday, Ndace admitted the broadcast body’s failure, attributing the incident to an “internal lapse” and possible “security breach or identity theft through hacking.” He emphasized that the organization is not pinning the blame on any single staff member.
“This unfortunate incident has revealed weaknesses in our internal editorial process,” the DG said. “While we cannot rule out cyber threats, we accept full responsibility as a public institution.”
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To prevent future mishaps, VON announced a series of reforms, including the establishment of a Fact-Checking Unit, an Investigative Desk, and a Monitoring and Evaluation Team aimed at reinforcing editorial accuracy and institutional accountability.
“We are restructuring to ensure that our content meets the highest standards of accuracy and integrity,” Ndace stated. “Strategic staff redeployments are also underway to bolster accountability and enhance editorial performance.”
Reaffirming VON’s mission, the director-general reiterated the broadcaster’s commitment to becoming a globally respected media organization, guided by the pillars of People, Platform, and Partnership.
The Super Falcons’ historic triumph, though briefly overshadowed by the reporting blunder, remains a proud moment for Nigerian sports.
Meanwhile, VON’s apology and reform roadmap mark a renewed push toward media responsibility and institutional trust.