Sal©: Mr. Albert Kofi Owusu, General Manager of the Ghana News Agency (GNA), has announced that the Agency's new cooperation agreement with the Moroccan Press Agency (MAP) is set to enhance professional development. The partnership will facilitate innovations in news development, including the exchange of ideas and experiences, modern news trends, fact-checking, and the integration of AI technology in journalism.
According to Ghana News Agency, the GNA-MAP cooperation agreement was signed at the Eighth General Assembly of the Atlantic Federation of African Press Agencies (FAAPA) in Sal©, Morocco. Several other news agencies, including the Burkina Faso Information Agency (AIB), Gabon Press Agency (AGP), Liberia News Agency (LINA), Mali News Agency (AMAP), So Tom© and Prncipe Press Agency (STP-Press), Senegalese Press Agency (APS), and Sierra Leone News Agency (SLENA), also entered into similar agreements with MAP. The aim of these agreements is to strengthen professional relationships through the exchange of expertise, experience, training, and editorial services such as newsletters, photos, audio, videos, and computer graphics.
Mr. Owusu expressed enthusiasm about the strategic partnership between GNA and MAP, emphasizing the Agency's commitment to sustaining the progress achieved through this collaboration. He highlighted that the relationship between the two institutions has historically provided a valuable platform for training journalists in various fields such as sports, gender issues, and socio-economic and news development.
The Ghana News Agency, established on March 5, 1957, just before Ghana's independence, was the first news agency founded in sub-Saharan Africa. It was tasked with delivering truthful and unbiased news, aiming to become the leading source of information on Ghana, Africa, and the world. The agency has played a crucial role in a broader communication policy aimed at leveraging state information capabilities to build a unified and cohesive nation.
In alignment with its mandate, the GNA has consistently worked to mobilize citizens for nation-building, economic and social development, and national unity and integration. The Eighth FAAPA General Assembly, under the theme 'African Press Agencies as Vehicles for Promoting the Continent's Health Sovereignty,' focused on strategies to enhance African health sovereignty and prepare for future challenges.
The two-day Assembly gathered Directors-General from numerous African news agencies, media, and health experts, alongside distinguished personalities from different sectors. The event also marked the 10th anniversary of FAAPA's founding, providing a platform to contemplate the future of African news agencies and their role in the 21st century, especially considering their diversity and unique characteristics.
