The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is looking for a talented, innovative, proactive and a motivated individual with excellent analytical, written and digital communications skills to join our team as a Programme Officer – Communications.
About US
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is a regional independent non-governmental organization. It is the biggest and most influential media development and freedom of expression advocacy organisation in West Africa with national partner organisations in all the 16 countries of the region. The MFWA is also the Secretariat of the continental network of the most prominent free expression and media development organisations in Africa, known as the Africa Freedom of Expression Exchange (AFEX) Network.
Key Responsibilities of the Position
The role requires a strong background in producing, editing and delivering high quality written and multi-media content on tight deadlines, with an exceptional ability to multitask. The right candidate is an outstanding, innovative content developer with exceptional creativity and analytical competence. The key responsibilities of the role will include:
Conducting regular analysis and producing reports on projects and activities being implemented for effective outreach and visibility;
Leading the process of gathering, analysing, producing, editing and distributing multi-media content on our programmes/projects, our learnings and the impact stories from our work;
Generating and discussing content ideas with programme staff, and editing content produced by programme staff;
Liaising with programme staff to produce the organisation’s quarterly newsletter;
Leading in the production of the organisation’s annual reports;
Key Requirements
Master’s Degree in the Social Sciences or Arts
At least five years post-qualification experience as an editor with a reputable media organisation (online or print), as a journalist with proven track-record of writing and publishing, or as a development communication professional with a track record of producing quality content in the field of development.
Excellent editing skills with the exceptional ability to reduce complex text and material into easy-to-read or listen, engaging content.
Experience working with NGOs and/or mainstream media will be a great asset.
Ability to communicate in both English and French will be an advantage.
How to Apply
Qualified and interested candidates should send their cover letter and CV to [email protected] with Comms Officer as the subject of your email. Deadline for applications is Thursday February 28, 2019. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
The Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Sulemana Braimah, alongside 23 others from around the world, has been named 2019 Eisenhower Global Fellow.
According to a statement by Eisenhower Fellowships, the 2019 Global Fellows are thought leaders in various fields including health, entrepreneurship, biomedical research, counter-terrorism, health technology, communications and the environment.
“These dynamic young leaders join a network of Eisenhower Fellows who for more than six decades have been building bridges and working creatively to better the world around them, one leader at a time,” said Eisenhower Fellowship’s Chairman, former Secretary of Defense, Robert M. Gates.
The 2019 Global Fellows will be travelling across the United States to meet with top experts in their fields.
Now in its 65th year and named after America’s 34th president, the Eisenhower Fellowships brings together innovative leaders from all fields from around the globe who tackle big challenges to better the world around them. Since 1953, nearly 2,400 mid-career leaders from 115 countries have benefited from the unique, customised experience of the Eisenhower Fellowship.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) in partnership with Citi FM will host the Auditor-General of Ghana, Mr. Daniel Yaw Domelevo, at a town hall meeting on media and corruption on Tuesday, February 12, 2019, 3:30pm, at the Coconut Grove Regency Hotel in Accra, Ghana.
The town hall meeting will bring together media experts, journalists, civil society organisations (CSOs), government representatives and the diplomatic corps to deliberate on the media’s role in fighting corruption. The theme for the event is Assessing the Performance of the Media in Fighting Corruption in Ghana: Two years into Akufo-Addo’s Administration.
Mr. Daniel Yaw Domelevo, the Auditor-General of Ghana, will deliver the keynote address at the event while other experts share perspectives on the theme in a panel discussion. The panel will comprise distinguished personalities namely:
Justice Emile Short, Former Commissioner, Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ)
Linda Ofori Kwafo, Executor Director, Ghana, Ghana Integrity Initiative (GII) & Board Chair, Office of the Special Prosecutor
Manasseh Azure Awuni, Senior Broadcast and Investigative Journalist, Joy News
Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director, Media Foundation for West Africa
Over the years, Ghana has consistently scored low marks in the annual Corruption Perception Index, evidencing the presence of corruption in the country. As a candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo campaigned on commitments to curb public sector corruption if elected. Two years after his election as President, it is important to evaluate his Administration’s delivery on these promises.
It is equally essential to assess the performance of the media with regard to its constitutional mandate to hold duty-bearers and public officials accountable.
The meeting will therefore make key recommendations on how the media can effectively sustain the campaign against corruption in the country. The town hall meeting will be live on CITI 97.3 FM.
The event forms part of Media Foundation for West Africa’s programme on Media and Good Governance and is organised with funding support from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation.
Contact Kwaku Krobea Asante on 0249484528 (email: [email protected]) or the MFWA on 0302-242470 for any assistance on attending this event.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) in partnership with the International Media Support (IMS), and in collaboration with the Nigeria Union of Journalists, is implementing a rapid response intervention aimed at addressing media safety issues before, during and after the 2019 elections in Nigeria.
The intervention seeks to ensure safety of media workers to enable them produce reliable and professional reporting that contributes to credible and peaceful elections.
Training of Journalists
The intervention begins with a two-day hands-on training on how to provide credible, efficient and professional coverage of the elections while staying safe. In all, 35 senior journalists and editors will benefit from the hands-on training which is scheduled for February 6&7, 2019.
The training will feature both local and international trainers who will build the capacity of journalists to report effectively on election-related issues and how to work with police and security forces. The journalists would also be given training on digital and cyber security issues to enable them secure their online communications during the coverage of the elections.
Cross-country Police Experience-Sharing
The intervention will also provide an opportunity for experience sharing among the Ghana, Sierra Leone and Nigeria Police force on promoting the safety and security of journalists during the electioneering period while maintaining public order.
An experience-sharing forum among the Ghana, Sierra Leone and Nigeria Police will be held on February 7, 2019. Top Commissioners of the Police administration in Ghana and Sierra Leone will share their experiences of election security management from their respective countries with 25 senior officers of the Nigeria Police Force who will be responsible for elections security.
Police-Media Forum
The experience-sharing forum will be followed by a police-media forum on February 8 where senior editors and journalists, officers from the Nigeria Police, senior officers from the Independent National Electoral Commission, and other key actors will discuss modalities for police-media co-operation and safety of journalists during the electioneering period. The forum will discuss working protocols including the possibility of setting up support tools such as a helpline for journalists who may find themselves in difficult situations while covering of the elections.
After the elections, a Post-Election Police-Media Forum will also be held. The forum will bring together media actors and security agencies to discuss the collaboration of the two groups during the elections and to foster greater collaboration between the two groups going forward.
To further strengthen and guide police-media relations and improve the safety of journalists in the country, participants at the forum would discuss and agree on the development of a Framework on Police-Media Relations.
These interventions in Nigeria add to similar ones successfully undertaken by the MFWA, IMS and other partners in Ghana (2016), Liberia (2017), Sierra Leone (2018) and Mali (2018) which contributed immensely to improved relations and collaboration between the police and media before, during and after elections.
In what is becoming a worrying crackdown on freedom of expression online in Cote d’Ivoire, a court in Abidjan has sentenced an opposition Member of Parliament to one year in prison for a post on Twitter.
Alain Lobognon, the opposition Member of Parliament, was also fined CFA Francs 300,000 (about US$ 550) after being pronounced guilty of “disseminating false publication and incitement to revolt on social networks” on January 29, 2019. The persecutors had cited Articles 173, 174, 175 and 178 paragraph 2 of the Ivoirian penal code.
On January 8, 2019, Lobognon published on Twitter that the State Prosecutor would soon order the arrest of another parliamentarian, Jacques Ehoua, who is under investigation for suspected acts of embezzlement. The prosecutor denied Lobognon’s claim and ordered his arrest and subsequent detention on January 15, 2019.
Despite a protest from Parliament that Lobognon was entitled to parliamentary immunity under Articles 92 and 45 of the constitution and National Assembly internal regulations, he was detained until his eventual conviction.
Lobognon’s lawyers say it is “a political trial” and have vowed to appeal the sentence. They also link his trial to their client’s outspoken opposition to President Alassane Ouattara’s possible third-mandate ambitions.
“It is a political trial, just because Mr. Alain Lobognon is close to Guillaume Soro [Speaker of Parliament who has fallen out with president Ouattara] and because Alain Lobognon has spoken out against attempts by the President of the republic to stand for a third term,” Affousiata Bamba, one of the defense lawyers, told reporters after the judgement was passed.
The prosecution of Lobognon follows a recent trend of attacks on freedom of expression online.
Daleba Nahounou was dragged to court for criticising Ivorian authorities on Facebook
On January 28, 2019, Daleba Nahounou, who is the Acting Secretary General of the political pressure group, Coalition of des Indignés de la Côte d’Ivoire, appeared before a judge at the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Abidjan over a Facebook post in which the political activist had criticised the Ivorian authorities for abuse of power.
Although Nahounou was not detained, his freedom is far from guaranteed as the trial continues.
The crackdown has also seen the police detain and molest a young man, Soro Tangboho, who filmed and posted a video of police officers allegedly extorting money from motorists in the Northern town of Khorogo. Tangboho was arrested on November 8, 2018 after he published the video.
After being held for two days at the police station in Khorogo, where he was allegedly beaten, Tangboho was transferred to the Directorate of Territorial Surveillance and finally to the Abidjan Detention and Correctional Center where he is still being held without trial.
“My son has not seen the judge since his incarceration; he is currently sick. His body swells and he suffers from heartaches,” Tangboho’s mother lamented to reporters.
MFWA is deeply concerned about the repression of freedom of expression online in Cote d’Ivoire. For a country that has decriminalised libel, one would expect the Ivorian authorities to demonstrate a higher level of tolerance for the kind of expressions contained in this report which are more indiscreet than criminal. We urge the authorities to respect citizen’s right to freedom of expression both offline and online which the country’s constitution guarantees
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is implementing a project aimed at improving the quality, independence and freedoms of the media in West Africa. The project titled: “Promoting Free, Quality and Independent Media in West Africa through Knowledge Sharing and Capacity Building.” is being implemented in five (5) countries – Ghana, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia and Senegal.
The MFWA hereby invites interested and competent consultants to submit applications for the functions specified in the scope of work below:
Scope of Work
The objective of the assignment is to produce baseline reports on the assessment of the capacity and sustainability prospects of media organisations in Ghana, Benin, Cote d’Ivoire, Liberia and Senegal, to fill, the current inadequate contextually-relevant data and information gap on critical media development issues in the region.
The project is being implemented with funding support from the Open Society Initiative for West Africa (OSIWA)
Specific Tasks:
The consultants will conduct a baseline study of key and influential media organisations/outlets in the countries. The reports should focus and highlight the following:
General context of the media environment in the targeted countries
The Ownership patterns of media outlets
Brief analysis of the public’s perceptions about the media houses/outlets
Strength and weaknesses of the media in the targeted countries
Analysis of Challenges of each of the media organisations in relation to management, staffing, financing, etc.
Specific needs of the media outlets
The reports should also be based on in-depth interviews with senior management and staff of the media organisations and other key stakeholders in the media sector.
Time Frame:
The consultants will be engaged for 20 working days between February and March, 2019.
Method of Submission of Application
Hardcopies of applications should reach the MFWA on or before February 11, 2019 and to the address below:
The authorities of the University of Liberia (UL) have banned indefinitely all campus-based political activities including rallies and marches, a move the student body has rejected as “a disregard for the rights of students.”
A release issued by the University authorities on January 11, 2019 said all student groups and campus-based political activities on all its campuses are banned until further notice.
The measure affects political/solidarity marches, political gatherings, the wearing of symbols and emblems depicting or promoting campus-based political groups as well as student protests, according to the release signed by Norris Tweah, Vice President for University Relations.
In a show of defiance, the leadership of the Student Unification Party (SUP), a student political group, immediately held a rally on the main campus of the university to denounce the order. The chairman of the SUP, Edison Tigban, described the university’s decision as “intended to stop the students advocacy against ills in government, such as corruption and other issues relative to poor governance.”
While university authorities have the right to take all measures to ensure peace and a conducive environment on campus, the MFWA does not believe that such measures include a violation of students’ right to wear party symbols and engage in civil and political activities. We therefore call on the authorities to revoke the ban and allow the students to exercise their right to freedom of assembly.
Liberian lawmakers have filed a 2 Million US Dollar lawsuit against a journalist and his media house over allegations of corruption and bribery against the parliamentarians.
Philibert Browne, the publisher of the private newspaper Hot Pepper, was sued for alleging on a private radio station in December 2018 that some former and current members of the House of Representatives were given various sums of money to induce them to approve the printing of L$15 billion banknotes by the government.
Browne and his lawyers on January 3, 2019, following the lawsuit, appeared at Civil Law Court “A” at the Temple of Justice in Monrovia and submitted a bond by way of a property worth USD 125, 000, thus avoiding possible detention.
The bond was filed on behalf of the journalist by Mr. and Mrs. Anthony and Alice Kumeh using their property deed duly registered with all taxes thereon up to date.
The House of Representatives had issued an arrest warrant against Philibert Browne after he failed to appear before them when he was summoned to prove his allegations. Philibert had previously caused a stir in the country by revealing that billions of Liberian dollar banknotes could not be traced by the central bank.
The plaintiffs involved in the suit against Browne include Bill Tweahway, Thomas Fallah, Prince Moye, Zoe Emmanuel Pennue, Jeremiah Koung, Edward Karfiah as well as former Speakers of the House, Emmanuel Nuquay and Tokpah Mulbah.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) finds the lawsuit excessive and liable to censor the journalist and permanently cripple his Hot Pepper newspaper.
Political activist, Foly Satchivi, risks spending time in prison after prosecutors demanded a four year sentence against him when he appeared in a Magistrate’s court in Lome on January 9, 2019.
Satchivi, the leader of a political pressure group, “En Aucun Cas”, was arrested in August 2018 as he and his colleague were meeting to plan a press conference that had been announced. The activist, who has since been in detention, was accused of staging a rebellion and defending a crime, a reference to his public support for opposition demonstrations that the government said were illegal.
The local media have denounced the legal action against Satchivi as an attempt to silence him. The view is shared by the defence team of the activist who see a political motive for the action.
“Everything points to a ploy to harass Foly Satchivi because he formed the ‘En Aucun Cas’ movement which has stiffly opposed the head of the state who is determined to rule for life,” said Celestin Agbogan, one of Satchivi’s lawyers.
Satchivi is one of several political and civil society leaders who have been detained by the government following a wave of opposition and civil society demonstrations to demand reforms to Togo’s election laws.
The main demand is the restoration of term limits to bar President Faure, who has been in power since 2015, from contesting in the next elections.
Other known detainees include Joseph Eza and Messenth Kokodoko of the Mouvement NUBUEKE as well as Johnson Assiba of Regroupement des jeunes africains pour la démocratie et le développement (REJADD).
MFWA is concerned about the trial of Satchivi because of his political activism and involvement in the demand for electoral reforms in Togo. The detention of the activist for his legitimate political views and activities is a violation of his right to freedom of expression, of opinion and of assembly.
We call on the authorities to release Satchivi from detention, drop charges against him, and work together with all stakeholders in Togo to build a stronger democracy in the country.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) condemns the shooting of three journalists in Nigeria at a political party rally in Ikeja, Lagos, and calls for thorough investigations and justice for the victims.
The three, Emmanuel Oladesu, group political editor of The Nation newspaper, Temitope Ogunbanke, a correspondent of News Telegraph and Abiodun Yusuf, a cameraman of Ibile Television, were shot while covering a rally organised to market Babajide Sanwo-Olu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the governorship of Lagos State, on January 8, 2019.
The MFWA’s correspondent in Nigeria reported that the journalists were caught in a crossfire after a gunfight broke out between suspected rival groups of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) at some point during the rally.
The News Editor of The Nation confirmed to MFWA’s partner organisation in Nigeria, International Press Centre (IPC), that the newspaper’s political editor, Emmanuel Oladesu, was critically injured and was receiving treatment in a hospital. His condition is however said to be stable.
In a statement signed by its Director, Lanre Arogundade, IPC condemned the attack on the journalists and called for a probe to identify and punish the culprits. The IPC also reminded all political parties of their obligation under the Nigerian Media Code of Election to ensure the safety of journalists covering their activities.
The MFWA is equally concerned about the attack on the journalists, especially during this critical electioneering period. This is not the first time such an incident has occurred at a political rally in Nigeria. On February 16, 2015, Charles Erukaa, a journalist with the privately-owned Channels Television in Nigeria, was stabbed in the neck by an unknown person while covering a rally by the same APC party at Okrika, Rivers State.
The MFWA urges the Nigerian Police Force to as, a matter of urgency, investigate the matter and ensure that the perpetrators of this violence are punished. We call on the leadership of the APC party to collaborate with the Police to ensure the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators of this criminal act.
The MFWA also appeals to all political parties in Nigeria to collaborate with the Police to ensure that the safety of journalists who are covering their activities is adequately protected.
On Wednesday (December 19, 2018), the President of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, hosted journalists in Ghana at the Jubilee House, the seat of government, to respond to questions on the state of affairs in the country and the performance of his government after almost two years in office.
The event, commonly referred to as the “Presidential Media Encounter”, has become a major highlight on the calendar of the government, media and advocates of democratic governance in Ghana. Today’s event is the second held by the current President within the year and the third since he assumed office in January 2017.
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) considers the engagement a crucial exercise that deepens the principles of transparency and accountability, which are key tenets in democratic governance. We, therefore, commend the President and the government for maintaining the culture of open and regular media encounters.
To help guide post-event reflections and to provide useful insights for future engagements, the MFWA presents its perspective on the media encounter. The analysis presented here assesses the overall arrangement and format of the event, quality of the questions asked, the performance of the President. The organisation also makes some recommendations for future encounters.
Format of the Event
This year’s event is a far cry from the previous engagements the presidency has had with the media. To start with, the programme started later than scheduled. This no doubt affected the number of questions that could be asked within the scheduled time. Also, the President’s introductory address was too long (40 minutes) and largely focused on praise-singing the achievements of his government. The President, whose speech took a chunk of the time, later spent too much time overly elaborating his responses to the questions asked. This contributed to journalists having less time to ask questions.
Additionally, the President interfered in the work of the moderator (Information Minister) regarding the selection of journalists to ask questions. Even though the information minister had anticipated and promised 70 questions from journalists, the President completely overturned the outline for the question session allowing just about 15 questions.
Furthermore, the Information Minister’s strategy to pre-group journalists and their questions under specific themes proved restrictive and made it almost impossible for journalists to ask follow-up questions.
A cross-section of the media personalities at the encounter
Quality of Questions Asked
A total of 14 journalists asked about 15 questions on various issues and sectors out of an anticipated 70 questions. The number of journalists allowed to ask questions was woefully low.
The few questions that were asked have been analysed by the MFWA. Analyses of the quality of questions were based on basic principles of good questioning such as: relevance of the question; whether a question was leading; whether the question had good background and contextualisation; the clarity of the question and whether a question made references to data, facts and illustrations. Using these principles, some questions were found to be really good while others were judged to be poor.
The MFWA found the questions below to be the good questions asked:
1. “Thank you Mr President, my question relates to the number 12 video that brought Ghana Football to a standstill. I’m just wondering your core lessons from that episode and how you think going forward, the relationship between the Football Association and government should be; because if there was anything from that episode, it was just sometimes the nature of it and how it affects everybody. What for you were the core lessons from it and how you intend to build the relationship between the next football association when elections are held? …” – Michael Oti Adjei of the TV3 (Media General).
This question was not framed in a closed-ended way; it was relevant and current and was able to elicit a good response from the president.
2. “Mr President you have given us a very glossy picture of the economy. You said the IMF head was here recently but my knowledge of the IMF is like owners of a football club in Europe, the moment they give you the vote of confidence the next moment you are out. I want to know how this glossy picture is going to impact on the Ghanaian, because there appears to be a disconnect. We have very good figures in the books but ordinary Ghanaians are going to Christmas, most of them, complaining that there is nothing in their pocket…” – Ebo Quansah – The Chronicle Newspaper.
This question was relevant, purposeful, relatable and reflects the plight of many Ghanaians.
“Mr President good evening. I’m Donald from Daily Graphic. Mr President in your bid to establish a mission in Oslo, there has been some controversy I want to find out if your government has committed any resources in purchasing any building. If yes how much? And I also want to find out from you if you also agree to what the opposition is saying that there should be an independent enquiry into what they claim might have happened. Thank you sir” – Donald – Daily Graphic.
This question was clearly stated, open-ended, concise and current.
The MFWA found the following questions found to be weak:
1.“My name is Charle Takyi-Boadu, I write for the Daily Guide newspaper. Mine is a simple one. Mr president we know some of your major policy initiatives have come under attack from policy think tanks and the opposition political parties. Would you consider revising some of these policy initiatives including the free SHS – Charles Takyi-Boadu – Daily Guide Newspaper
This question was irrelevant especially because the president had hailed the free SHS policy in his opening remarks. It was a closed ended question, poorly framed and leading because it actually led the president to an easy answer.
2. “Merry Christmas, Mr. President. Thank you, Sir. Mr. President, on the 19th of the April 2015, a delegation from the ministry of health traveled to Michigan in the United States, and they were led by the director of policy, planning, monitoring and evaluation of the ministry, Dr. Afisah Zakariah. On their return, Dr. Zakariah filed this report I have in my hand. The main purpose of this trip was to visit some facilities in Michigan and also raise and solicit support for Ghana or for Ghana’s preparedness and response to Ebola. They were hoping to galvanise support to build ten regional infectious disease centres, rebuild the central medical stores facility in Tema, replenishment of medical supplies for the distribution centre that was lost to the fire disaster, distribution of medical supplies and also familiarise themselves with some proposals and some facilities there. She..in fact Dr. Zakariah secured the buy-in of the Michigan aerospace manufacturers association and they agreed in principle to build ten regional infectious disease centres, build and replenish a central medical store for the ministry of health, provide two ambulances for each of the ten hospitals and two helicopters. Mr. President, in that report, Dr. Zakariah also indicated that the Michigan aerospace…I’m sorry if I don’t build this background my question will be very meaningless. Mr. President, my question is this, you spoke about medical drones doing supplies. I am very much aware that on the 24th of August 2017 a group from the Michigan aerospace manufacturers association met with you, I want to understand the status of this proposal and also what is the difference between the current drone agreement we have from this very one” – Bismark Brown – Atinka TV.
This question was focused on the linkage between the report he was making reference to and the current issue of the medical drones but lacked clarity. The background was unnecessarily long and winding.
3. “Good evening, Mr President, my name is Kojo Acheampong, I report for TV Africa, I would want you to give me your assessment on the performance of your MPs with respect to the fisheries minister ministry. Thank you” – Kojo Acheampong – TV Africa.
This was the most poorly articulated question of the day. It was ambiguous and lacked focus.
President’s Performance
Overall, the President was composed and demonstrated knowledge on many of the issues around which the questions were raised. In cases where the President did not have an idea or could not respond to a question, he demonstrated forthrightness. In some other cases, he invited his sector ministers to provide the appropriate responses to the questions raised. For example, in the case of the alleged arson attack at the Tema Central Medical Stores, he made it clear that he did not know the status of the investigation and called on the Minister of health to respond to the question.
This notwithstanding, one low point of the President’s performance was his comparison of his government’s medical drone deal to that of the SADA Guinea fowl issue under the erstwhile Mahama government which was petty and unnecessary.
Again, instead of the President answering the question regarding the current Oslo issue, the president deferred to the sector minister saying “the foreign minister will not allow me to answer the question”. Given that the minister had been all over responding to the question throughout the week, the question presented a perfect opportunity for the nation to hear othe President on the matter.
The worst moment in the president’s performance was his attempt to discount and discredit important national issues raised by Think-tanks in the country. The President’s comments seem to devalue the work of Think-tanks especially their critique of his government’s free SHS policy. The President also at some point came across as overly defensive, impatient and in a hurry.
Again, he spent a solid 40 minutes reading a long speech obviously hailing himself and his government. His responses to some of the questions asked by journalists were also overly elaborative. For instance, he spent about 20 minutes responding to the first set of six questions asked.
Other critical issues that were missed
The delay in the passage of the right to information bill despite government’s failed promises and deadlines
Challenges in the Health sector
-Abandoned health facilities – Community-based Health Planning Services (CHPS) Compounds and hospitals– in the country
-The ‘no bed syndrome’ issues in the hospitals
Alleged corruption scandals under the current administration
Recommendations
In future encounters, the President should limit the time of his address to allow for more questions from the media.
The presidency must consciously allow more time for such media encounters in the interest of transparency and accountability.
Moderators of such encounters must deliberately ensure gender-balance in the selection of journalists during questioning session.
Journalists should adequately prepare and ask questions that have been well researched with proper background and context.
Abuja, 15th December, 2018–The Commission of Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has called for Member States to ensure digital accessibility for all Community citizens with emphasis on Persons with Disabilities (PwD).
This was the outcome of a two-day validation workshop on regional Information and Communications Technology (ICT) accessibility policy.
In his remarks on behalf of the Commissioner for Telecoms and Information Technology, the Acting Director of Digital Economy and Post, Dr. Raphael Koffi stated that the region is making giant strides in the right direction as governments around the world are exploring and implementing various approaches to ensure universal access to digital information, particularly for PwD.
He noted that the accessibility of ICT to community citizens will play a crucial role in the achievement of the Commissions’ Vision 2020 which will move ECOWAS from a community of States to an ECOWAS of people with integration being a fundamental block to improving the socio-economic development of the region.
To this end, the delegates validated the ECOWAS ICT accessibility policy and strategy and reaffirmed their commitment towards its full implementation when approved by Ministers in charge of ICT in the region.
The workshop was organized with the technical support of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) Regional Office for Africa.
