Veteran Broadcaster Leo Keyen, Former VOA Hausa Service Chief, Dies

 

 Veteran broadcaster and former General Manager of Plateau Radio Television Corporation (PRTC), Leo Keyen, has died, his family announced Wednesday.

Keyen, who also served as Head of the Voice of America's Hausa Service in Washington, D.C., passed away, though details surrounding his death were not immediately available as of press time.

His daughter, Sophie Keyen, a social media content creator, announced the death in a heartfelt Facebook post.

"Your unapologetic Daddy's girl will miss you every day pops. Sleep peacefully with Angels my first love," she wrote.

Keyen was widely respected in Nigerian and international broadcasting circles for his distinguished career spanning decades.

Before his international engagement with VOA, Keyen held leadership positions in Plateau State's broadcasting sector, rising to become General Manager of PRTC, where he contributed significantly to the growth of public broadcasting in the state.

He later joined the Voice of America, where he oversaw radio and television programmes focusing on political, social and developmental issues across Nigeria and West Africa. During his tenure, he played a pivotal role in expanding Hausa-language broadcasting to audiences throughout the region.

Following news of his death, colleagues and media professionals took to social media to mourn the broadcasting icon.

Veteran journalist Jonathan Isahaku described Keyen as a man whose influence extended far beyond the newsroom.

"What a loss," Isahaku wrote on Facebook. "Leo — Debonair, Excellence, Flamboyance, Brilliance, Confidence. Broadcaster per excellence. The man who 'forced' me to speak in Hausa to the world on VOA. God's comfort to family and teeming friends. Adieu, my brother.

Keyen is survived by his children and extended family.