African Journalists Asked to Increase Advocacy on AfCFTA

By GNA 

September 18, 2023

Ambassador Ahmed Haggag, the Union of African Journalists (UAJ) Advisor, has urged African Journalists to increase advocacy on the Africa Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) to help expedite the continent’s development. 

Addressing some African Journalists in Cairo, Egypt, he stated that the AfCFTA promises broader and deeper economic integration for Africa and that closing the knowledge gap would enable Africans to better grasp and harness its benefits for the continent’s shared prosperity.

While the agreement is a deal breaker for the continent, Ambassador Haggag pointed out that there was a need for purposeful advocacy to make it work.

“It is imperative to create an advocacy for the AfCFTA, and I charge you Journalists to be advocates by spreading the news around it,” he said.

Ambassador Haggag, who is also the Secretary General of the Africa Society, encouraged African Journalists to get involved in the AfCFTA’s activities, noting that the Agreement would reduce the cost of trading within the continent.

The journalists, from 14 African countries, are taking part in a training programme for Young African Journalists in Cairo, Egypt.

The three-week program, which began on Saturday, September 16, with an official opening ceremony, will take participants through several pertinent topics affecting the continent.

The topics range from political, economic and media-related issues.

In all, 13 young Journalists from the continent, five Egyptian Journalists and Presidents of selected media union/association are in Cario for the session.

The Journalists are from Ghana, Cote D’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Togo, Nigeria, Cameroon, Senegal, Kenya, Morocco, Tunisia, Congo, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Egypt.