April 08
West Africa: Assault of Paul Kamara - Wanamdel Commends Sierra Leone Police Leadership On Swift Action
The West Africa Network of Activists and Media Defence Lawyers (WANAMDEL) has welcomed recent steps taken by the Sierra Leone Police following the assault of its member, Paul… Read more »
March 31
West Africa: New Media Regulator Law Raises Press Freedom Concerns
Senegal's National Assembly on March 3, 2026, adopted a new law establishing the National Media Regulatory Council (CNRM), marking a significant shift in the country's media… Read more »
March 30
West Africa: Prolonged Ban On Journalist From Parliament Concerning, MFWA Calls for Reinstatement
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) is concerned about the continued ban on journalist Melvin Mansaray, which has now lasted for over a year. Mansaray was indefinitely… Read more »
March 26
West Africa: Journalist Sentenced to Two Years' Imprisonment for 'Insulting' Niger's President
Youssouf Sissoko, editor-in-chief of the newspaper L'Alternance in Mali, was sentenced on March 23, 2026, by the National Cybercrime Court to two years' imprisonment and ordered to… Read more »
March 20
West Africa: Senegal - TV Host Jailed for Reposting Caricature of President On Facebook
Daouda Ndiaye, also known as Daouda Wally, a journalist with Feeling Dakar TV, was sentenced on March 16, 2026, to two months' imprisonment and a fine of 100,000 CFA francs (about… Read more »
March 13
West Africa: Nigeria - Journalist Alleges Assault By Local Government Chairman During Coverage
Habeeb Adejobi, a reporter with Lagos-based MITV, has accused the Chairman of Kosofe Local Government Area, Moyosore Ogunlewe, of orchestrating an assault against him while he was… Read more »
March 12
West Africa: Opposition Flagbearer Aspirant Denied Bail for the Fourth Time
Zainab Sheriff, a flagbearer aspirant of the opposition All People's Congress (APC) and chairperson of the "Wi Duti Lappa" movement, remains in detention after being charged with… Read more »
West Africa: Dissolution of Political Parties Deepens Democratic Erosion
Burkina Faso's transitional authorities have taken a decisive step that could reshape the country's political landscape. On February 9, 2026, members of Burkina Faso's Transitional… Read more »
March 11
West Africa: 'Exile Must Not Become the Norm' - West African Journalists Warn
In recent years, democracy in West Africa has faced serious setbacks. Countries in the Sahel region, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, and others like Guinea and Guinea-Bissau have… Read more »
March 09
West Africa: Coroner Orders Hospital to Account for Body Linked to Slain Journalist in 14 Days
A coroner's court sitting in Lagos has ordered the Chief Medical Director of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) to submit, within 14 days, a report on the… Read more »
March 08
West Africa: Rights. Justice. Action - Time to Act On the Safety of Female Journalists in Ghana
On the occasion of the 2026 International Women's Day celebration, the Media Foundation for West Africa's (MFWA) Programme Assistant for Media for Democracy and Good Governance,… Read more »
March 05
West Africa: 30 Journalists Trained in Data Journalism, Fact-Checking to Strengthen Anti-Corruption Reporting
Thirty journalists from Ashanti, Greater Accra, and the five Northern regions of Ghana have completed a three-day intensive training on data journalism and fact-checking aimed at… Read more »
West Africa: International Women's Day 2026 - We Must Safeguard Women Against Online Gender-Based Violence
The rise in internet penetration across West Africa has expanded the digital public sphere and created new opportunities for women's participation and leadership in the pursuit of… Read more »
March 04
West Africa: Regulator Rules National Broadcaster Must Compensate Journalist for Unlawful Termination
The Independent Media Commission (IMC) of Sierra Leone has issued a ruling requiring the Sierra Leone Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) to provide compensation to Umu Thoronka, a… Read more »
West Africa: Investigation By Our Accountability Journalism Project Triggers Presidential Review of Multimillion-Dollar Contract
When The Fourth Estate, the award-winning accountability journalism project of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), began scrutinising the contract between the National… Read more »
March 02
Ghana: TikTok Content Creator Arrested Over False Claims About Police
Isaac Boafo, a 45-year-old social media content creator popularly known online as "Duabo King", was arrested on March 1, 2026, by officers from the Police Intelligence Directorate… Read more »
Africa: MFWA, Partners Train 500 Media Professionals to Foster Information Integrity in West Africa
The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), in partnership with the ECOWAS Commission and the German Development Cooperation (GIZ), has provided professional capacity enhancement… Read more »
West Africa: Ghana Government Signals Reintroduction of Media Development Fund - Modalities Remain Unclear
President John Dramani Mahama has announced that his government is considering "the reintroduction of the Media Development Fund...to support media development in Ghana". He made… Read more »
February 27
West Africa: Regulator to Publish Authorised List of Media Outlets, Journalists Ahead of Elections in May
Guinea's media regulator, the High Authority for Communication (HAC), has announced that it will publish a list of journalists and media outlets authorised to operate ahead of the… Read more »
February 25
Africa: Artificial Intelligence - Africa Governments Must Adopt, Adapt, and Indigenise, but Do Not Copy and Paste
An African aphorism says "When elders sit together, words are weighed, not counted." "And when value circulates locally, trust deepens and community stability holds." Read more »
February 23
West Africa: Senegal - TV Commentator Detained for Disputing Prosecutor's Statement
On February 17, 2026, Abdou Nguer, a columnist for SEN TV, was taken into custody after responding to a summons from the Colobane Investigation Office in Dakar. The summons… Read more »
February 20
West Africa: Prosecutor Seeks Six Months' Jail for Sen TV Commentator
Modou Fall, a commentator for Sen TV, was taken into custody on February 11, 2026, following questioning by the Faidherbe investigation unit, a division of the Dakar gendarmerie. Read more »
February 19
West Africa: Ghana - Court Begins Trial in Journalist Assault Case
The Accra Circuit Court has commenced criminal proceedings against a suspect accused of assaulting broadcast journalist Latif Iddrisu in May 2025. Read more »
West Africa: Law Student Detained for a Week Over Facebook Video
On February 10, 2026, Edwina Hawa Jamiru, a law student at the Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone, was detained at the Cyber Crime Unit of the Criminal Investigative… Read more »
February 18
West Africa: Ghana - IGP, Attorney-General Commit to Compensate Journalist Assaulted By Police Eight Years Ago
After eight years of litigation, the Attorney-General and the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) have initiated steps to compensate JoyNews journalist Latif Iddrisu, who was… Read more »
