ACBF, WAJA Sign Grant Agreement

The African Capacity Building Foundation (ACBF) and the West African Journalists Association - Capacity Building Project and today signed a Grant Agreement of US$2.1 million for a four (4) year capacity enhancement project aimed at strengthening the voices of the media in order to promote democracy and ensure participatory governance, accountability and transparency in ECOWAS member states.

In signing this Agreement, ACBF and WAJA through the implementation of this project seek to:

(i)    Enhance the institutional and human capacity of journalists and media workers

(ii)    Strengthen the legal protection, safety and security of West African Journalists

(iii)    Improve the working environment for journalists

Speaking at the ceremony, Mohamed Garba, President of WAJA said the grant signing ceremony marks another milestone in the history of WAJA because this Grant (US$2.1million) remains the single highest and most commendable assistance to be extended to Journalists Unions across the region.

President Garba pledged that in implementing WAJA-CBP II, the institution seeks to build substantially on the success registered from the Phase I during and that the WAJA leadership will ensure that all WAJA member countries benefit from the grant.

The second phase of the WAJA-CBP introduces key innovations which include the establishment of a Scholarship Program in Investigative Journalism at the both the Masters and Diploma levels to promote investigative journalism in the region.

WAJA will now also provide funds for legal support of journalists under criminal prosecution.

The ACBF Executive Secretary, Dr Frannie Leautier, said that ACBF is committed to strengthening the voices of the media on the continent through training and skills building.  ?This has manifested itself through the increase in the number of media supported projects that ACBF is funding throughout Africa, building on the successes in the implementation of the first phase of WAJA-CBP.  These interventions include the East African Journalists? Capacity Building Project (EAJA-CAP) with the East African Journalists Association; and the Capacity Building Project for Media Development in Southern Africa with the Media Institute of Southern Africa (MISA); which all aim to foster the emergence of a critical mass of high caliber professionals, which is indispensable for the establishment of a culture of media excellence in Africa.?

The total cost of the project is US$ 2,976,012, of which US$ 2,105,000 will be provided by ACBF; remainder of the funds US$871,012 will be funded by WAJA through its other partners.