West African Journalist trained on Reporting APRM/NEPAD

They were trained in a three-day workshop which took place in Accra, Ghana.

About some 15 journalists from Anglophone West African countries have received training on the Africa Peer Review Mechanism, APRM, which is an initiative of New Partnership for Africa’s Development, NEPAD for African Countries to do a comprehensive national self assessment exercise. The three-day workshop took place in the Ghana-India Kofi Annan Centre of Excellence in ICT, in Accra, Ghana.

In a welcome address by Rev.Prof. S.K Adejepong, Chairman of the National African Peer Review Mechanism Governing Council, NAPRM-GC, he said the role of the media in this process is critical, because without the media, he said it will be difficult to achieve the objective of domesticating APRM. He said in Ghana they have decided to domesticate APRM making it part and parcel of their governance, culture and infrastructure. Rev Ajedepong added that they have been able to execute their mandate with the help of partners, key among them being the Mass media, who he said have in many instances made their channels available for the information and education of the Ghanaian population about the APRM and governance in general.

According to the chairman, the workshop with the theme ‘Reporting Africa in a Global context’ has a programme content that seeks to provide participants with enhanced reporting skills, in-depth analysis and presentation of the APRM/NEPAD and governance issues in a more reader and audience-friendly format and increase among APRM/NEPAD secretariats and other governance news sources, the need to collaborate with journalists in accessing information. He believed if this objective is achieved, it will go a long way to contribute significantly to the realization of the NEPAD and APRM goals informed by the need for good governance on the

African continent. Other speeches and remarks came from the representative of NEPAD, Kenya, Jerry Okungu, Reuters Foundation, Nicholas Kotch, among others. The workshop was opened by the Ghana’s Minister of Information and National Orientation, Hon.Mrs.Oboshie Sai Cofie.
EFFA TAMBENKONGHO in Accra, Ghana