Use digital media to drive Africa’s sustainable development agenda - Journalists advised
The Newsroom (TN) Africa Media, organisers of TN Africa Digital Journalism Summit, have called for a united effort by young people, media professionals and development communicators to confront Africa’s escalating climate and environmental challenges.
At the 2025 TN Africa Digital Journalism Summit in Accra last Wednesday, the group emphasised the power of youth-led storytelling as a catalyst for civic action and a driver of sustainable solutions to reshape Africa’s climate change narrative.
The event served as a bold new platform championing the future of African storytelling and climate communication.
The summit, held on the theme: “Shaping Africa’s Future Through Climate Journalism”, brought together digital journalists, content creators, thought leaders and communication students to explore how storytelling could inspire civic action on climate change.
Notable among the dignitaries present were the Barbados High Commissioner to Ghana, Juliette Bynoe-Sutherland; the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of EIB Network Group, Nathan Kwabena Adisi (Bola Ray); the Deputy CEO of the Forestry Commission, Elikem Kotoko, and media practitioners, Ameyaw Debrah and Natalie Fort.
Climate change
The Lead Convener of the Summit and Ghana Representative for TN Africa, Senanu Damilola Wemakor, in a welcome address, emphasised that the continent was already experiencing the devastating effects of climate change — record-high temperatures, floods, droughts, and food insecurity — largely driven by human activities such as pollution, deforestation, and poor waste management.
Despite widespread internet access, he lamented the lack of climate awareness among Africans and challenged journalists to fill this gap through credible, data-driven, and solution-oriented reporting.
Mr Wemakor described climate journalism as “journalism for the Earth and posterity”, urging practitioners to demystify climate science, amplify environmental advocacy and inspire public action.
Digital media
He underscored the power of youth-led media and platforms such as the Pan-African Digital Media Platform to “retell Africa’s story the African way” — combining creativity, accuracy and accountability to drive policy change and social transformation.
"We believe in a combined power of youth, media, and development communication to explore African issues through an African lens, or through an analytic African lens.
Climate change is not only an environmental issue, but also a social and political issue.
"The climate change of narrative, young and vibrant journalists equate themselves with a current narrative, facts, figures, myths and reality," he said.
Championing Ghana’s Green story, the Deputy CEO of the Forestry Commission, Elikem Kotoko, called on journalists and young communicators to use the power of digital media to tell Ghana’s environmental success stories and drive Africa’s sustainable development agenda.
Speaking on the topic “Telling Ghana’s Great Story in the Digital Age”, Mr Kotoko emphasised that climate change was an immediate threat demanding bold leadership, collaboration and responsible storytelling.
He underscored the crucial role of the media as partners in nation-building, catalysts of accountability, and bridges between policy and the public, particularly in shaping narratives on forest conservation, clean energy, and ecological preservation.
Highlighting Ghana’s strides in environmental governance, he noted that under President John Dramani Mahama’s administration, the government had halted new mining licences in forest reserves, revoked over 360 non-compliant mining permits, and declared forest and water zones as security areas.
He also revealed plans to repeal LI 2462, which previously allowed mining in forest reserves, and described new controls on excavator use to curb illegal mining (galamsey).
