Togo: “Religious media have an important role to play in the education of young people,” according to a representative of the Ministry of Communication
"We expect a great deal from faith-based media in the education of young people," said Franck Missité, Chief of Staff to Togo's Minister of Communication and Media. He was speaking on Monday, November 22, at the inauguration of the fourth edition of the Lomé meetings, organized by FOMECAF (Forum of Francophone African Christian Media).
Faith-based media reaching out more to all citizens
"Faith-based media should reach out more to all citizens with themes that are not 100 percent religious," added the trained journalist. "It's important to vary the content. 75 percent prayer and preaching is enough. 25 percent culture and ethical and moral education would be good!"
This edition of the Lomé meetings will address the theme "Media & Generational Divide," with Abdoulaye Sangho, Director of Transworld Radio West and Central Africa (TWR), as the main speaker. Around fifty representatives from Christian media in Francophone Africa, including Cameroon, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Côte d'Ivoire, DRC, Rwanda, and others, traveled for the training week. Additionally, about a hundred people are registered to follow it online.
"Media, make room for young people!"
"64 percent of the West African population is under 24 years old," stated Emmanuel Ziehli, president of Radio Réveil France, "and our media do not speak the language of young people. Furthermore, we do not cover topics that interest them. Let's be models of generational transition," he emphasized. Consequently, he asked radio managers to make room for younger people in their programming and among their journalists and presenters.
Emmanuel Ziehli also highlighted the dynamism of CICERI, the International Christian Center for Study, Research, and Information in Lomé, which, thanks to a team of young people aged 18 to 30, transparently organizes the Lomé seminars each year.
In addition to Abdoulaye Sangho, the main speaker, Juliette Kpessou, presenter at Radio Hosanna in Benin; Olivia Adiko, editor-in-chief of Radio La Voix de l'Espérance in Abidjan; Etienne Kiemdé, director of Radio Evangile et Développement in Burkina Faso; Illia Djadi, head of African relations for the NGO Open Doors; and Alphonse Teyabé, a media consultant in Cameroon, will also speak.
Meetings launched by Radio Réveil
The “Lomé” meetings were launched in January 2019. They offer Christian media professionals from French-speaking Africa the opportunity to participate in a week-long training program and to network in order to foster dialogue among professionals from different countries.
In January 2019, the Radio Réveil association in Switzerland, which produces radio programs for all Francophone regions, decided to invite its radio partners in Africa to a training session in Lomé to mark its 70th anniversary. About a hundred people participated in the event and signed the Lomé Declaration. The signatories committed to abandoning competition between evangelical and Protestant radio stations and to pooling resources to improve the quality of their programs. (c)
The FOMECAF website with the Lomé 4 program.
