In a quiet conference room at Abuja’s Stratton Hotel, a different kind of West African gathering unfolded on April 9, 2025.
Rather than reporting the news, some of the region’s most distinguished media professionals assembled to celebrate it as jurors for the inaugural ECOWAS Media Excellence Awards.
The awards, a centerpiece of ECOWAS’ 50th-anniversary observances, aim to recognize journalists whose work has documented the bloc’s five-decade journey toward integration, peace, and development. Over four days of deliberations, the seven-member jury representing linguistic, geographic, and professional diversity will assess entries across television, radio, print, digital media, and photojournalism.
“Journalists in our region are not mere reporters of events they are educators, nation builders, and defenders of our democratic values,” said Honorable Mambury Njie, Special Adviser to ECOWAS Commission President Omar Alieu Touray, during the ceremony. His remarks underscored the awards’ symbolic weight: a recognition of media’s dual role as chronicler and conscience of West Africa’s collective story.
Presided over by veteran Gambian journalist Abdoulie Gassama, the jury evaluates submissions based on originality, technical excellence, ethical rigor, and societal impact. Early sessions focused on television productions, with radio, digital, and print categories to follow.
“Your task transcends selecting winners,” ECOWAS Communications Division Head Joel Ahofodji told jurors. “You’re shaping the future of journalism in our community.” The sentiment resonated with Gassama, who reflected on West African media’s evolution from typewriters to AI a transformation that hasn’t diminished journalism’s core mission: to illuminate truth and amplify marginalized voices.
Conceived as both tribute and catalyst, the awards arrive amid mounting challenges for West African media. According to Reporters Without Borders, press freedom in the region declined in 2024, with journalists facing increased legal harassment, violence, and disinformation campaigns. Against this backdrop, ECOWAS positions the initiative as a bulwark for ethical reporting one that honors legacy while inspiring new generations.
Winners will be announced later this year, but the jury’s work already signals a broader commitment. As one juror noted during deliberations, “These stories are more than entries they’re the living archive of our integration.”
The awards coincide with pivotal moments for ECOWAS: a golden jubilee marked by both achievements (like the ECOWAS single visa program) and crises (including recent withdrawals by Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger). Media has chronicled this complex tapestry from trade agreements to coups—often at personal risk.
By institutionalizing recognition, ECOWAS not only validates journalists’ contributions but tacitly acknowledges that regional ambitions cannot thrive without free, fearless storytelling. Past initiatives like the AU’s Media Awards show such programs can elevate standards, but lasting impact depends on sustained policy support a test ECOWAS will face as it balances celebration with substantive press freedom advocacy.
