The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) have taken another significant step towards strengthening democratic values and media freedom in the region.
This follows a two-day institutional engagement mission held on August 20-21, 2025, across four ECOWAS institutions in Abuja, Nigeria. The mission marks a key milestone in the implementation of the historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the two organisations in December 2023, which underscores the critical role of media in achieving ECOWAS’ vision of “peace and prosperity for all” by 2050.
Led by the MFWA’s Executive Director, Mr. Sulemana Braimah, the delegation held consultative meetings with the Directorate of Political Affairs, Peace and Security (PAPS), the ECOWAS Court of Justice, the Communications Directorate (with the participation of GIZ), and the ECOWAS Parliament.
The engagements brought together representatives of ECOWAS, senior MFWA management, and officials across the Commission’s political, judicial, communications, and legislative arms. Discussions focused on key thematic areas outlined in the MoU, including enhancing ECOWAS’ public visibility, promoting inclusive and accountable governance, countering disinformation ahead of major elections, and advancing freedom of expression and media rights across the region.
At the PAPS meeting, Mr. Braimah shared the need to move the partnership beyond a consultancy arrangement toward genuine collaboration, noting that the MFWA’s regional networks and expertise in mobilising journalists position it as a natural partner in advancing the objectives of the MoU.
The Directorate’s Head of Division for Democracy and Good Governance, Mr. Ebenezer Asiedu, welcomed the progress made so far and stressed the importance of deepened citizen engagement as ECOWAS marks its 50th anniversary this year.
The session with the ECOWAS Court of Justice saw the Head of Division for Public Information and External Relations, Ms. Elohor Ovadje, emphasise that achieving the Court’s mandate requires informed citizen participation and amplification through vibrant, independent media.
Mr. Braimah highlighted the MFWA’s history of supporting the Court’s work, including sponsoring landmark cases and defending compliance with its judgments, and proposed the joint training of specialised judicial correspondents to strengthen public understanding of the Court’s decisions.
At the Communications Directorate, the Head of Communication, Mr. Joel Ahofodji, and GIZ’s Regional Communications Advisor, Mr. James Bigila, joined the MFWA delegation in reviewing progress on five collaboration areas identified since 2023, agreeing on a partnership model to deliver an upcoming disinformation training programme for journalists in ten member states.
At the ECOWAS Parliament, Research Officers Mr. Christopher Oyinlola and Mr. Aaron Asirah engaged the delegation on ways to raise Parliament’s visibility, identifying its upcoming 25th anniversary in November 2025 as a timely entry point for closer collaboration with the MFWA.
Participants across the four engagements agreed on a consolidated set of action points spanning communication and visibility, citizen participation, disinformation, and media freedom, with implementation running through 2026. The outcomes of these discussions will be consolidated into a joint work plan to guide continued collaboration between the MFWA and ECOWAS
