The 2025–2026 Africa Extractives Media Fellowship has officially been launched, introducing a new cohort of journalists who will be trained to deepen accountability and transparency reporting across the extractives, climate, and energy transition sectors.
Speaking at the launch, Deputy Chief of Staff for Administration at the Office of the President, Nana Oye Bampoe Addo emphasized that the role of the media in resource governance is more crucial than ever as Ghana’s mining, oil and gas industries expand.
“Every story you publish, every investigation you conduct, every data sets you interrogate, and every concession agreement you undercover will contribute to Ghana’s national accountability as a government committed to transparency, we welcome the scrutiny from you fellows, not as confrontation if it has to be confrontation, so be it and also as partnership.”
Also, Australian High Commissioner to Ghana, H.E Berenice Owen-Jones, noted that the continued investment in the Africa Extractives Media Fellowship reflects a long-term commitment to strengthening journalism in Ghana.
“Our contribution to the Africa extractive Media fellowship will allow us to continue to support that kind of capacity building here in Ghana, with a focus on responsible journalism, human development, and gender equality.”
Minister of Labour, Jobs and Employment, Abdul-Rashid Hassan Pelpuo underscored the urgent need to strengthen gender inclusion within Ghana’s extractive sector and the media spaces that report on it.
“We must highlight the importance of inclusion, especially gender inclusion. This is because women remain underrepresented in the sector as well as the media that report on the developments in the sector.”
He added that the government is committed to addressing the unique challenges women face working in industrial environments that are often hazardous or remote.
“This commitment mirrors the ministry’s own effort to close the gender gap informal sector employment, and ensure that our labor policies fully address the unique challenges faced by women and often hazardous or remote industrial settings.”
The Africa Extractives Media Fellowship seeks to equip journalists with the requisite skills to demand transparency and protect community interests.
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Story by Alexander Kuuku Osei-Baidoo | univers.ug.edu.gh
