●The young journalists

A total of 40 budding Journalists from 12 African countries have received training under the Young African Media Fellowship (YAMF) organised by the YALI TV and the US Mission to the African Union.

The Fellows participated in a 4-week virtual training consisting of seminars, speaker lectures, and coursework which started from April 14, 2022 to May 14, 2022.

The overarching objective of the event is to uplift media practice on the African continent; boost youth involvement in the future of the media industry, and influence economic investment within the media landscape.

The Organisers ended the training with a summit at the BlueCrest University College in Accra on June 23 2022. The Young Africa Media Summit (YAMS) bordered on ‘The Media Industry as an Investment Opportunity in Africa.’

The summit hosted four plenary sessions and on the panel were bigwigs in the communications space such as Mr. Akwasi Awua Ababio – Director-Diaspora Affairs, Office of the President; Mr. Cecil Sunkwa-Mills-Executive Director, NTSS Ghana; Naa Korkoi Essah, Public Relations Executive, Ministry of Communications and Digitalization; Joana Mansa Otoo-PR, National Commission on Culture; Mr. Phillip Acquaye, Head of Department –Mass Communication Department,-BlueCrest University; Kwame A.A. Opoku, CEO, Reset Global People; Sena Sena, Filmmaker; Jeremiah Egyabeng, CEO, Digitrust Ghana; Harriet Nartey, Broadcast Journalist, PanAfrican TV; Stephen Tetteh Charway, Blogger; Mr. Siita Sofo Hissan, President, AfCFTA Young Entrepreneurs Federation (AfYEF); Mr. Alfred Ocansey, Broadcast Journalist, Media General; Woode Maya, Digital Content Creator; and Mr. Richmond Perkins Asante, Director, Techcoba Africa, amongst others.

The Summit was set to be Africa’s foremost platform for strategic dialogues on new media technologies, digital transformations in communication, media entrepreneurship and investment across the continent.

The next phase of the fellowship is planned to host the second cohort, which will focus on agriculture, entrepreneurship, and innovation, with plans underway to develop a media hub and media fund to foster creativity and innovation in young people in the media industry.

Amongst the 40 fellows who were chosen for the 4-week rigorous training are Sinazo Novukela (South Africa), Ibrahim Angaangmeni Alhassan (Ghana), Ukamaka Perpetua Okoye (Nigeria), Lawrence Yeboah Gyan (Ghana), Naldo Arnaldo Baptista (Mozambique), Wendy Omanga Adhiambo (Kenya), David Ifeanyi Mkpume (Nigeria), Elfredah Kevin-Alerechi (Nigeria), Bonas Fotio Fopa (Cameroon), Prince Asare (Ghana).

Others are, Sah Terence Animbom (Cameroon),Kofi Ivk Asante (Ghana), Nji Nelson Chefor (Cameroon), Dolly Kafui Armah (Ghana), Victoria Agyemang (Ghana), Nonhlanganiso Nomsa Nkosi (Eswatini), Chigoziem Ruth Torty (Nigeria), Truth Osumareton Egbe (Nigeria), Wofai Samuel Igbo (Nigeria), Emmanuel Tawiah Forson (Ghana), Emmanuel Raphael Samani (Ghana), Calvin Anye Mbamuzaang (Cameroon).

Additionally, Niyi Sunday Oyedeji (Nigeria), Mainimo Etienne Mengnjo (Cameroon), Joseph Bill Danquah (Ghana), Chansiline Nanze (Cameroon), Allen Oyaoze Abu (Nigeria), Naa Korkoi Essah (Ghana), Akalambi Clare Enjoh (Cameroon), Abraham Wandabwa Wangama (Kenya), Melinda Kirwa (Kenya), Andy Dankyi Oppong (Ghana), Gifty Hodey Manye (Ghana), Mouleka Boulanga Fouty (Gabon), Berihu Gereziher (Ethiopia), Michael Kofi Kenetey (Ghana), Saum Esendi Idd (Kenya), Moses Baridapdoo Nwilo (Nigeria), Richmond Botwe (Ghana) and Dennis Sarpong (Ghana) were part of the young journalists.