West Africa’s biggest journalism event, West Africa Media Excellence Conference and Awards (WAMECA), enters its eighth edition this year. From October 9 to 11, the 2025 edition of WAMECA will come off in Ghana’s capital, Accra. The two-part event will consist of a conference which will run from October 9–10, and an awards night which will come off on October 11. Both the conference and awards will be hosted at the Alisa Hotel in Accra.
WAMECA 2025 will be held under the theme: “Journalism and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) in Africa.” It will also host stakeholders in media, technology and governance from across Africa who will explore how digital infrastructure is reshaping public life and accountability.
Some prominent speakers at the conference will include Hon. Sam George, Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations; Ebenezer Asiedu, Head of Division, Democracy and Good Governance, ECOWAS Commission; Akua Asantewa Owusu-Darko, Senior Investment Associate, Co-Develop; Sabine Mensah, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, AfricaNenda Foundation; and Dr. Amaye Sy, IFF Expert.
The conference will bring together government actors, media actors, democracy and governance experts, media activists, academics, members of the diplomatic corps, fintechs, and distinguished journalists.
WAMECA 2025 will host six panels which will discuss topics including DPI and inclusive development, the role of fintechs in combating illicit financial flows, safety of journalists, multi-stakeholder collaboration for DPI enablement, and experience sharing from DPI journalism fellowship alumni.
Discussants are expected to make recommendations at the end of every panel discussion which will constitute actionable takeaways for media activists, democracy activists, academics, journalists and policymakers.
The conference will then be crowned with an awards night on Saturday, October 11, where journalists in the sub-region who have produced compelling and impactful works will be acknowledged with prizes.
This year’s WAMECA awards received 793 entries from journalists from 15 West African countries. A four-member jury shortlisted 26 finalists who will be honoured at the event. Register to participate in all the proceedings of WAMECA 2025 via Zoom here.
WAMECA 2025 is supported by Co-Develop, DW Akademie, Oxfam in Ghana, 11th Hour, GCB Bank, AfricaNenda Foundation, and MTN. The event is also supported by about 50 media partners across West Africa.
