ECOWAS TRAINS JOURNALISTS IN SENEGAL TO PROMOTE INTEGRITY OF INFORMATION AND COMBAT MISINFORMATION AND DISINFORMATION IN WEST AFRICA

The ECOWAS Commission’s Communication Directorate concludes the first phase of its training programme for journalists from these 12 Member States, aimed at promoting the integrity of information and combating disinformation and misinformation in West Africa, from 29 to 30 January 2026 in Dakar, Senegal.

This training aims to equip Senegalese media professionals with the knowledge, tools and techniques necessary to detect, counter and report on disinformation while respecting the principles of ethical and fact-based journalism. In doing so, ECOWAS seeks to strengthen democratic governance and promote informed public discourse in West Africa.

Presiding over the opening ceremony on behalf of the President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Dr Omar Alieu TOURAY, Deputy Coordinator of the ECOWAS National Office in Senegal, Mr Mamadou Moustapha SECK, emphasised the importance of the training, stating that it was specifically designed to enable journalists to tackle disinformation and promote responsible journalism based on verified facts.

Mr Seck emphasised the essential role of media professionals in implementing ECOWAS’ Vision 2050, adopted in 2022, whose first pillar is peace, security and stability in the region. “The first step in getting back to basics, in my view, is to ensure the integrity of information, wherever it may come from and whatever interest it may hold for different parties. This means that everyone must exercise self-restraint, rise above partisan contingencies and clamour, and uphold the principles of ethics and professional conduct in order to analyse, verify, corroborate and even experiment before disseminating information,” he said.

The Deputy Coordinator of the ECOWAS National Office expressed his gratitude to the Acting Director of Communications at the ECOWAS Commission, Mr Joël AHOFODJI, for organising this training. He also thanked Mr Jonas Tylewski, Director of Communications at the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Senegal, and Dr Impraim Kojo, Director of Programmes at the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), for their presence and valuable support.

Mr AHOFODJI, Acting Director of Communications at the ECOWAS Commission, emphasised in his welcome speech that the media training workshop aims to strengthen the capacity of journalists and media professionals to excel in responsible, investigative and fact-based journalism that promotes peace and democracy in the region.

The Programme Director of the Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA), Dr Impraim Kojo, expressed his gratitude to ECOWAS for its fruitful collaboration in implementing this training, the ultimate goal of which is to strengthen democracy, counter the spread of fake news and safeguard peace in West Africa.

Addressing the participants, Mr Jonas Tylewski, on behalf of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Senegal, emphasised the urgent need for collective action against the rising tide of disinformation. ‘The dissemination of unverified information is dangerous. Society trusts you because you are journalists. So check for yourselves! Be critical of everyone,’ he said.

Mr Jonas Tylewski concluded his speech by reaffirming Germany and GIZ’s commitment to working hand in hand with ECOWAS and Senegal to disseminate accurate and verified information as a fundamental pillar of peace and democracy in west Africa.