Former President John Agyekum Kuffour has made calls for the establishment of a pan-African media house that will tell the stories of Africa just as they are, real without compromise.

Speaking at the Crossroads Forum hosted by the Africa Media Bureau in Accra, Ghana, on Friday, September 26, the former President explained that external narratives by non-African bodies have, over the years, shaped the continent in ways that do not accurately reflect its reality.

He said this stems from colonial divisions that left Africa fragmented along linguistic lines, with limited cultural and practical knowledge among its own people.

To address this, he called on Africans to champion their own stories by establishing a dedicated African media agency, either in Accra, which hosts a blend of diverse cultures, or in another suitable city on the continent, to shape the continent’s narrative and tell its stories without bias but with authenticity.

“If the professional media people will find a way to establish a powerful media agency, say here in Accra, very African, to tell African stories, not just political, it could be economic, it could be social, it could be entertainment, it could be trade, it could be industry. I tell you, before you know it, the African in Nigeria, Nairobi, or South Africa, we would do better,” the former president noted. He also added that,

“Poor Africa so far has tended to be defined from outside. We are seeking our identity,” the former President remarked. “For instance, now we are forming things like AfCFTA, but it tends to be just talk, talk… But then digitalisation, global technology, they are evading us.”

While acknowledging the reach of technology in the remotest communities, communities on the continent, he quizzed, “We talk platforms. How many of the platforms are managed and driven by us?” highlighting the lack of African ownership in digital spaces.

Addressing challenges that continue to restrain African unity, he explained that the continent still carries remnants of colonialism, particularly language barriers and a lack of knowledge about each other’s history, culture and experiences.

“We still are locked into the blinkers of colonialism. We are Anglophone, my cousin in Côte d’Ivoire is Francophone, the next person is Lusophone, we do not know ourselves,” he said.

“You stop the person in Accra and you want to discuss something in Nigeria, you’d be lucky if this person knows anything,” he said, underscoring the disconnect between African countries.

The former president's advocacy for a Pan -African media agency is a reiteration of calls by Ghana’s first president, Dr Kwame Nkrumah, who advocated for African-controlled media as early as the 1960s, emphasising the need to counter colonial narratives and promote African unity.

The African Union, on the other hand, is a major advocate for this pan- African media hub. As part of measures to see it at work, the organisation in 2022 inaugurated the AU Media Fellowship, an initiative aimed at empowering African journalists and content creators to tell Africa’s stories from within, promote cross-border collaboration, and counter negative global narratives.

Also, media scholars like Prof. Kwame Karikari and Dr Etse Sikanku have long argued for a robust African media ecosystem that can shape global perceptions and empower local storytelling.

Meanwhile, the president’s calls come at a time when assaults on journalists are rife, particularly in Ghana, which has affected the country’s global ranking on media freedom. President John Dramani Mahama has pledged his commitment to media safety, freedom and a compensation package for journalists who have been assaulted over the years while on duty.

Speaking during the GJA’s courtesy call on Friday, September 5, Mr. Albert Dwumfuor, the Association’s president, reminded the president to uphold his promise to ensure the safety and sustainability of the media in Ghana. He appealed to the president to take concrete steps to end assaults on media professionals.

“Unwarranted attacks on journalists must end. We call on you to ensure that perpetrators of violence against media personnel are held accountable,” he stressed.

During a media engagement on August 16, 2024, then-presidential candidate Mahama had pledged to journalists that, once in office, his government would protect media freedom and ensure their safety.

“The best thing you can give the media is to give them the freedom to do their work. Unfortunately, that hasn’t happened under this government. Media people have been hounded, some have run into exile, some have been threatened, their lives have been threatened, and indeed some have paid the ultimate price like Ahmed Suale did,” he said.

He continued with a personal pledge: “You can trust that as a person who is a member of the Ghana Journalists Association (GJA) myself, I am not the kind of person who would hound the media, and so one gift I can give to you is the freedom to do your work without anybody intimidating and harassing you.”

Consequently, Mr. Dwumfuor urged President Mahama to exercise his executive powers by enacting stronger laws to empower security agencies to protect journalists. According to him, attacks on journalists are often premeditated, making them aggravated offences that require tougher punishment.

“Your Excellency, we encourage you to invoke your executive powers to enact a law to empower security agencies to protect journalists. Since most of these attacks are premeditated, they must be treated as aggravated offences. If we continue to treat them as misdemeanours, it will not serve as a deterrent,” he noted.

President John Dramani Mahama, at the same event, revealed that he has received a report from the Ghana Police Service containing records of all victims of electoral violence. He stated that after a thorough review of the report, victims would be duly compensated. Additionally, he assured that the compensation package would also cover journalists who have suffered repeated attacks during elections.

“...And so once that is done, I’m sure that if there were journalists involved, they would also be considered for compensation,” he added.