The second version of Shaping the Way forward for African Media, organised by Africa Information Company (ANA) on April 29 and 30 in Accra, introduced collectively media leaders, policymakers, traders, entrepreneurs, digital specialists, communication professionals and African creators round a problem that has now turn into central: reworking African narratives into levers of financial energy, international affect and sovereignty.
At a time marked by the rise of synthetic intelligence, the dominance of main worldwide platforms and the reshaping of world info balances, the occasion highlighted the strategic function of African media in shaping the picture of the continent, strengthening its financial attractiveness and reclaiming management over its narratives.
“If Africa is poorly instructed, Africa will proceed to be undervalued”
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Opening the occasion, Dounia Ben Mohamed, CEO of Africa Information Company (ANA), recalled the accountability of African media within the face of the transformations reshaping each the continent and the world.
“If Africa is poorly instructed, Africa will proceed to be undervalued,” she declared earlier than an viewers of ministers, diplomats, media executives and traders.
In a extensively famous keynote handle, Idrissa Diabira, Founder and CEO of SherpAfrica, pressured that the battle over narratives has turn into each an financial and geopolitical battle.
“Africa shouldn’t be poor. It’s undervalued,” he said, insisting on the necessity to make African financial, cultural and social realities seen with a purpose to remodel them into capital, affect and energy.
The discussions additionally introduced collectively a number of high-profile figures, together with Akwasi Opong-Fosu, former Minister of State of Ghana and Chairman of the Ghana Funding Promotion Centre (GIPC); Ekow Quandzie, Head of PR at International Media Alliance; filmmaker and archivist Anita Afonu; and Hamadou Tidiane Sy, CEO of Ouestaf and Founding father of E-jicom Faculty.
The exchanges centered on narrative sovereignty, the financial impression of worldwide perceptions of Africa, the function of digital platforms and algorithms, in addition to the challenges associated to the manufacturing, distribution and financing of African content material.
Synthetic Intelligence, New Enterprise Fashions and Coaching
This version additionally devoted a number of panels to the technological transformations reshaping the African media sector.
Discussions round synthetic intelligence introduced collectively Christian Elongue, George Koffi Nkunu, Joseph-Albert Kuuire and Promise Dugbatey to look at each the alternatives and dangers related to AI, significantly by way of digital sovereignty, info credibility and technological dependency.
Points associated to coaching the following era of African media expertise additionally occupied a central place, with discussions specializing in the necessity to construct a brand new era of pros able to combining technological innovation, native grounding and a strategic understanding of affect dynamics.
Launch of a Devoted Pan-African Media Fund One of many main highlights of this second version was the announcement of the launch of a fund devoted to strengthening Pan-African media.
Introduced by Dounia Ben Mohamed, the fund will deal with three precedence areas:
- The event of sustainable enterprise fashions;
- Help for digital, technological and synthetic intelligence transitions;
- Skilled coaching programmes and capacity-building initiatives for media professionals.
SherpAfrica, led by Idrissa Diabira, has been mandated to construction the fund and guarantee each its independence and long-term sustainability.
“Instantly following this occasion, we are going to start mobilising the mandatory funding by calling on our Pan-African establishments, African champions and leaders to contribute,” introduced Dounia Ben Mohamed.
A name for contributions has been launched to public, personal and Pan-African establishments wishing to help the strengthening of a stronger, extra unbiased and sustainable African media ecosystem.
The official launch will happen throughout the subsequent version of Shaping the Way forward for African Media, scheduled for January 2027 in Dakar.
The occasion continues on April 30 with a number of masterclasses devoted to constructing high-performing African media organisations, the strategic use of synthetic intelligence, the coaching of future business expertise and the mastery of storytelling as a instrument of affect.
About Africa Information Company
Based in 2015 by Dounia Ben Mohamed, Africa Information Company (ANA) is a pan-African information company devoted to delivering high-quality, real-time info on Africa’s financial, political, and cultural developments. With 11 places of work throughout Africa and Europe, greater than 40 correspondents throughout the continent, and over 100 media companions, ANA distributes multilingual multimedia content material in French, English, and Arabic, connecting African tales to a world viewers and delivering info that informs, evokes, and influences.
In January 2026, within the context of ongoing financial and media transformations throughout the continent, ANA opens a brand new workplace in Accra, set to turn into its new headquarters following Kigali, marking a strategic milestone aimed toward strengthening its positioning on the coronary heart of African and worldwide dynamics and supporting the evolution of African media ecosystems.
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With greater than 1 million views throughout its platforms, ANA continues to broaden its attain and affect throughout Africa and past.
ANA additionally publishes ANAKids – Information by Youngsters, for Youngsters, a platform devoted to youngsters and youngsters in additional than twenty African languages, aiming to organize as we speak’s youngsters to turn into tomorrow’s leaders of Africa and the world.
About ANASchool
ANA Faculty is the primary pan-African middle devoted to creating abilities in media, audiovisual manufacturing, and strategic communication. Designed as a middle of excellence, it serves media professionals, executives, establishments, and leaders in search of to strengthen public talking, construction communication, and remodel discourse into impression. From content material manufacturing and editorial technique to storytelling, institutional communication, and the usage of digital instruments and synthetic intelligence, ANA Faculty helps the rise of those that purpose to maneuver from speech to affect. A novel initiative to professionalize, modernize, and amplify African voices within the public area.
