The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is proud to highlight a major step taken by our National Partner in Sierra Leone, the Media Reform Coordinating Group (MRCG), in promoting independent journalism. In April 2025, MRCG launched the National Fund for Public Interest Media (NaFPIM) in Freetown, in collaboration with key national and international partners.
This fund represents a significant boost to public interest journalism in Sierra Leone. By providing financial support to media organisations, NaFPIM is helping to address the persistent resource constraints that undermine quality journalism. It aims to empower journalists and media outlets to produce content that promotes development, demands accountability, and serves the public good. As Dr. Francis Sowah, National Coordinator of MRCG, rightly stated, “This fund is a practical step toward implementing the National Media Action Plan.”
We are encouraged to see strong support for this initiative from key stakeholders. The launch was attended by the President of the Sierra Leone Association of Journalists (SLAJ), the Director for Africa and the Middle East at the International Fund for Public Interest Media (IFPIM), and the United Nations Resident Coordinator in Sierra Leone – all of whom reaffirmed the importance of sustaining independent media.
We believe that NaFPIM marks a turning point for media viability in Sierra Leone. It also offers a model for similar interventions across the West Africa region. As a regional organisation committed to press freedom and media development, we fully support this initiative and commend MRCG for its leadership and vision.