West African Journalists Form Network to Advance Issues Concerning Region

8 September 2017
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United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (Addis Ababa)

Dakar — Thirty West African journalists, specializing in economic, social and environmental development issues, on Thursday formed a network that will help them cover their beats well through sharing information and making sure there's better visibility of issues concerning their region in the media.

The initiative to bring the journalists together was spearheaded by the Sub-Regional Office for West Africa of the Economic Commission for Africa (SRO-WA/ECA), the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) and the Liptako-Gourma Authority.

The network will create a dynamic and responsible partnership between the organisations and the media in the sub-region as journalists report on economic and social development issues in the region.

"We are happy to have played a role in bringing the journalists together because we are partners with them as we try to find solutions to major economic and developmental issues affecting our continent, especially as we all work hard towards the structural transformation of economies not only this region but Africa as a whole," Mr. Dimitri Sanga, Director of ECA/SRO-WA, said at the end of the two-day meeting.

The meeting focused on capacity building of members of this network in the various areas related to West Africa's priorities, the economics of the region and related issues.

"On our part as the ECA, we produce a great number of high-quality knowledge products in various fields which impact the well-being of the African population. These include civil status registration, population, demography, climate change and their effects on populations and economic growth, gender inequalities and women empowerment, the root causes of conflict and their effects on development - to name just a few," said Mr. Sanga.

"Media experts on the other hand are the driving force through which this wellspring knowledge will be understood by the various strata of public policy beneficiaries so as to ignite their awareness on these issues, thereby requesting the necessary accountability from their administrators in the implementation of these policies."

"You have access to the necessary knowledge products and policy makers. I have no doubt, therefore, that you will fulfill your responsibility in educating our constituents and managing expectations. You are important stakeholders in whatever happens in Central Africa."

Mr. Sanga said journalists have knowledge about many issues and are normally well-connected from grassroots level to policy-makers making them the best possible partner the ECA would yearn to have as the organization continues with its role to promote the economic and social development of its member States.

The 30 journalists are from Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, Cote d'Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

Note to Editors

The Sub-Regional Office for West Africa of the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (SRO/WA-ECA) is one of the five sub-regional offices in Africa. With headquarters in Niamey, Niger, the ECA/SRO-WA covers all of the 15 ECOWAS Member-States, namely: Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d'Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone and Togo.

The ECA/SRO-WA is channeling its efforts towards strengthening Sub-Regional cooperation and integration in West Africa, aligned with the priorities of the African Union, the views of the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) and international development goals, among which, are those stated in the Millennium Declaration. ECA/SRO-WA also coordinates the stance of Member-States on various issues of economic and social development. The Commission works in close partnership with institutions that are charged with the task to facilitate Sub-Regional economic networking. They include: ECOWAS, the West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU), sectorial-intergovernmental institutions, the private sector and civil society organizations.

For more information, contact:

Tahirou Gouro, Communication Officer, ECA-SRO/WA,

Mob.: +227 90 99 99 39, Email: gouro2@un.org

Read the original article on UNECA.

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