Kwaku Asante, Author at Media Foundation For West Africa

Our impact: Health regulator in Ghana probes activities of two facilities after investigative report

Investigative JournalismJun 8, 20231KViews 0Likes 0Comments

On Tuesday, May 30, 2023, the authorities in Ghana announced they had launched an investigation into the activities of two health facilities in the capital, Accra following the release of an investigative report by The Fourth Estate, MFWA’s accountability journalism project. The report blew the cover off a quack midwife and her shocking trail of…

9 dead, TV stations shut, internet disrupted as court verdict plunges Senegal into chaos

Free Expression Violations, Press FreedomJun 3, 20231KViews 0Likes 0Comments

Nine protesters have died, the internet has been disrupted and the signals of a pro-opposition television station temporarily cut as the conviction of Senegal’s opposition leader Ousmane Sonko plunges the country into chaos. Deadly riots broke out in several cities across Senegal on June 1, 2023, after the court verdict with the security services responding…

Ghana’s Right to Information Law: MFWA Sets Up Support Centre for Citizens

Access To InformationMay 22, 20231KViews 0Likes 0Comments

To enhance the public’s knowledge about Ghana’s Right to Information (RTI) Law, and amplify their voices to effectively monitor and hold government to account, the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has set up the Citizens Access to Information Support Centre. The Centre will provide support to applicants who are using Ghana’s RTI law to…

MFWA petitions Nigeria’s Supreme Court in appeal case of death penalty victim

Free Expression ViolationsMay 17, 20231KViews 0Likes 0Comments

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has submitted an amicus curiae petition to Nigeria’s Supreme Court in support of Nigeria Yahaya Sharif-Aminu, a musician who is appealing his death sentence in a blasphemy case. Sharif-Aminu, then 22, was sentenced to death by hanging in 2020 after an Upper Sharia Court in Kano convicted him of blasphemy…

Our impact: NGIJ alumni lead Sierra Leone’s fight against fake news ahead of Elections

Media DevelopmentMay 12, 20232KViews 0Likes 0Comments

In the lead-up to Sierra Leone’s general elections in June 2023, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is running its automated fact-checking tool, iVerify, in the country and the trusted hands behind the project include two alumni of the MFWA’s Next Generation Investigative Journalism (NGIJ) Fellowship. Victor Jones has been on the Sierra Leone iVerify…

Big win for press freedom in Nigeria as court bars regulator from sanctioning networks

Press FreedomMay 12, 20231KViews 0Likes 0Comments

On May 10, the Federal High Court in Nigeria’s capital Abuja gave an order of perpetual injunction restraining broadcast watchdog, the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), from imposing fines on broadcast stations. Delivering the ruling, Justice James Omotosho held that the NBC, not being a court of law, had no power to impose fines on broadcast…

WPFD 2023: Abused journalists share experiences, demand end to press freedom violations

Press FreedomMay 5, 20231KViews 0Likes 0Comments

A group of seasoned investigative journalists and media freedom activists have called stakeholders in the media to close their ranks, network more and collaborate across borders to counter the growing threat to press freedom in the sub-region. The call was made during a webinar organised by the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), on May…

MFWA demands prosecution of politician for assaulting radio presenter live on air

Safety of JournalistsMay 4, 2023963Views 0Likes 0Comments

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) condemns the brazen assault on Sadiq Gariba, a radio presenter with Radio Dagbon based in Tamale in the Northern Region of Ghana, and urges the police to ensure that the perpetrator is prosecuted. Gariba was live on air when Hardi Pagzaa, a former Regional Communications Officer of the…

WAMECA 2023: Call for entries

Media DevelopmentMay 3, 20231KViews 0Likes 0Comments

The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is calling for entries for the 7th edition of the West Africa Media Excellence Conference and Awards (WAMECA). WAMECA 2023 will be held from October 19 - 21 in Accra, Ghana, and will focus on the theme: Media and Democracy in Africa. The first two days of the event will be dedicated to…

4th Quarter 2022: Number of FOE violations reduce, but no drop in intensity

.Apr 26, 20231KViews 0Likes 0Comments

The fourth quarter of 2022 (October-December) recorded 21 freedom of expression (FOE) violations, the least number recorded in the year. The figure is 55 per cent (55%) lower than that of the preceding quarter (July to September 2022) which stood at 46. The first (January-March) and second (April-June) quarters recorded 34 and 42 respectively. Nigeria…

Repeal false publication laws – Media coalition urges Ghana Gov’t

Free Expression and The LawApr 21, 20233KViews 0Likes 0Comments

The Media Foundation of West Africa (MFWA) with three other media organisations has called on the government of President Nana Akufo-Addo to annul aspects of two laws which continue to criminalize free expression even though Ghana repealed its criminal libel law two decades ago. The call which was made by the MFWA together Ghana Journalists…

WAMECA 2023 to focus on Media and Democracy in Africa

Media and Good GovernanceApr 18, 20231KViews 0Likes 0Comments

In the last few years, democracy in Africa has been in recession. The rollback has been manifested through the alteration of constitutions to change term limits by autocrats, the deliberate politicization of electoral bodies with partisan appointments, and the weaponization of the judiciary for partisan objectives. Along with these, civic spaces within many African countries…

Author page: Kwaku Asante

Kwaku Asante