Press Freedom Organisations in 14 West African Countries Partner MFWA

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The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has signed partnership agreements with leading press freedom and freedom of expression organisations in 14 West African countries. The partnership arrangement forms part of MFWA’s efforts to build synergies and promote joint efforts to advocate for improved press freedom, freedom of expression, access to information rights and professional journalism in the West Africa.

“As a regional organisation, we are delighted about this partnership with the leading civil society organisations that are doing great work on press freedom, freedom of expression, professional journalism and right to information at the national level in the respective countries in the region,” said Sulemana Braimah, Executive Director of the MFWA. “Together we can strengthen each other’s capacity, amplify our advocacy voice and deliver more effective region-wide advocacy for improving the lives of people.”

The national partners with whom the MFWA will be working are International Press Centre (IPC) of Nigeria, the Gambia Press Union (GPU), Centre for Media Studies and Peace Building (CEMESP) of Liberia and the Media Reform Co-ordinating Group – Sierra Leone (MRCG-SL).

The partners in the Francophone and Lusophone countries are l’Observatoire pour la Liberté de la Presse, de l’Ethique et de la Déontologie (OLPED), Cote d’Ivoire; Centre National de Presse-Norbert Zongo (CNP-NZ), Burkina Faso; la Convention Des Jeunes Reporters du Sénégal (CJRS) Senegal; Institut des Médias pour la Démocratie et les Droits de l’Homme (IM2DH), Togo;Sindacto De Jornalistas  e Tecnicos De Comunicacao Social Guinée Bissau, (SINJOTECS).

The rest are l’Observatoire de la Déontologie et de l’Ethique dans les Medias (ODEM), Benin; Maison de la Presse (MP), Mali ; Regroupement de la Presse Mauritanienne (RPM), Mauritania; L’observatoire Nigérien Indépendant des Médias pour l’Éthique et la Déontologie, (ONIMED) of Niger and the Réseau Guinéen des Journalistes contre la Corruption et pour la Promotion de la Bonne Gouvernance, (REGUIJOC), Guinea.

The MFWA already has correspondents who monitor and report on freedom of expression issues in the various West African countries. The signing of partnership agreements with press freedom and media development organisations in 14 countries is expected to further boost the MFWA’s efforts to undertake many more projects in those countries in partnership with the national partners. Similarly, the partners have signed up to reliable representation in all the countries involved through the MFWA.

Ultimately, the collaboration will consolidate the presence and impact not only of the MFWA but also the partners across the sub-region as well as raise their profiles as the most influential freedom of expression organisations in West Africa.