By Mufutau Ojo
The Vice President of Gabon, Mr Alexandre Chambrier, says the media in Africa is safeguarding the narratives of the continent.
He spoke at the opening of the 10th Executive Council meeting of the Atlantic Federation of African Press Agencies (FAAPA) in Libreville, Gabon.
Chambrier described FAAPA as embodying the status of Africa and telling its stories through its press and media.
The vice president stressed that Africa must speak for itself in its own words and images.
He also paid tributes to journalists in Gabon, saying they “shape our opinions, build our memory and support the African continent on its journey towards information sovereignty.”
The vice president, who recalled the establishment of the Gabonese News Agency (AGP) in 1966, specifically commended its resilience and professionalism in the last six decades.
” We hope this longevity and experience will be crucial for the success of the 10th meeting of the FAAPA Executive Council,” he said.
The vice president further said Gabon was going through profound political and institutional transformation.
This, he said, was based on a Fifth Republic that was rising through restoring the dignity of the Gabonese people.
” The Libreville meeting is being held in a context of hope and national renewal.
” Through this political reform, we will also be able to build a peaceful nation, committed to freedom of opinion and expression as well as freedom of information,” he said.
In his address, the Chairperson of FAAPA, Mr Fouad Arif, said African news agencies must once again become the primary and legitimate sources of the continent’s narratives.
” They must produce, disseminate and promote our own realities, our successes and our ambitions, through our own eyes and our own voices.
” At a time when artificial intelligence is reshaping the news production chain and global platforms are tending to standardise their contents, Africa must assert its uniqueness and its vision,” he said.
According to Arif, talking about the African media is to talk about sovereignty.
He maintained that without information sovereignty, there could be no sovereignty.
Arif described FAAPA as an instrument of coordination, space for exchange and tool for collective affirmation.
” By working hand in hand, we can create a true African news ecosystem based on competence, reliability and trust,” he added.
He said such an ecosystem would not only tell Africa’s story, but also make it to be understood and respected.
Arif said this ambition was in line with the vision of King Mohammed VI of Morocco.
He said the Moroccan leader had consistently called for the strengthening of the South-South cooperation.
Arif said this was to be based on active solidarity, shared responsibility and the pooling of knowledge and resources.
The Minister of Communication and Media, Mr Paul-Marie Gondjout, urged FAAPA to put an end to the flow of caricature news and defend its image and interest in a credible and professional manner.
Gondjout also called for a sovereign African media ecosystem.
He expressed the hope that the FAAPA meeting would be a starting point for an African network for continuing education and innovation in news production.
The Director General of AGP, Mr Ghislain Nzuet, said the FAAPA meeting in Libreville was a sign of Africa taking charge of its own destiny.
” At a time when news circulates rapidly, it is vital that Africa speaks with a clear voice, reclaiming its narrative and making the melody of its truth heard,” he said.
Nzuet said the creation of FAAPA in 2014 in Rabat had created a platform for consultation, training and professional solidarity.
He said that each member agency had continued to contribute to building a united, supportive, competent and reliable African press.
The director general commended Arif for making FAAPA dynamic and for his constant solidarity.
Nzuet also commended the directors-general of member agencies for their significant contributions.
The News Agency of Nigeria, an Executive Council member of FAAPA, is being represented at the meeting by its Editor-in-Chief, Mufutau Ojo.(NAN) www.nannews.ng
Edited by Ismail Abdulaziz
