The 2025 West Africa Media Excellence Conference and Awards (WAMECA) opened in Accra with a strong call for collaboration between the media, government, and digital actors to strengthen democracy through technology.
The Deputy Minister of Communication, Digital Technology and Innovation, Mr. Mohammed Adams Sukparu, speaking at the event in Accra yesterday, said Africa was witnessing a wave of digital transformation—from national identification systems to mobile money and online services—making life simpler and more connected for citizens.
In Ghana, he mentioned initiatives such as the Ghana Card, Mobile Money Interoperability, and the Ghana.gov platform as examples of how digital systems were improving public service delivery and promoting financial inclusion.
He stressed that while technology could be a force for good, it must serve the people and protect their rights. Quoting the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, he said, “Technology can be a force for good, but only if it serves people, protects their rights, and helps bridge divides rather than deepen them.”
According to him, this was why journalism was vital to the digital future.
“When journalists help citizens understand and question new technologies, they transform innovation into empowerment. A strong, free and ethical media is the bedrock of digital democracy,” he said.
The Head of Division for Democracy and Good Governance at the ECOWAS Commission, Mr. Ebenezer Asiedu, who spoke on behalf of the Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace and Security, Ambassador Abdel-Fattah Moussa, praised the MFWA for keeping the regional dialogue alive.
He said ECOWAS valued its partnership with the MFWA, which was formalised through a Memorandum of Understanding in 2023. The partnership, he said, had helped train journalists, regulators and policymakers in media ethics, disinformation management, and hate speech mitigation across several member states.
The Executive Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa, Mr. Sulemana Braimah, in his welcome address, said the conference had become the leading platform for reflection on journalism and media in the sub-region.
He said the continent was in the midst of a digital revolution, with systems such as digital IDs and payment platforms forming the foundation of modern economies. While acknowledging the potential of these technologies, he cautioned that development cannot be achieved without trust, transparency, and respect for human rights.
“Technology cannot drive development if it is not accompanied by trust, inclusion and accountability,” he said, adding that journalism was key to building that trust.
He explained that good journalism helps citizens understand, question and participate fully in the digital ecosystem. He urged journalists to learn more about digital public infrastructure and its implications for rights, access and inclusion.
Mr. Braimah revealed that through the West Africa DPI Journalism Fellowship, 65 journalists from 10 countries had been trained and had produced over 370 stories highlighting digital transformation issues.
The three-day conference brought together journalists, policymakers and digital experts from across West Africa to share ideas on how journalism can support the growth of inclusive and accountable digital systems on the continent.
BY AGNES OPOKU SARPONG & ALBERTA BONSI
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